Track Athlete Kazama Kaede

♦♦♦

“Hmm, the weather’s really nice, isn’t it?”

Its currently lunch break at Ousei Academy.

Lured by the clear blue sky, Kaori stepped out into the courtyard and stretched widely.

In the courtyard, students who had finished their lunch were chatting pleasantly or enjoying light exercise like a short walk.

Sumimaru, disguised as a keychain and clinging to Kaori, let its eyes droop with a goofy grin.

“Man, this really is a great school-maru! So many cute girls—I mean, the scenery’s so pretty, it cleanses the soul-maru!”

“Yes, the breeze feels nice…… But I wonder if Noa’s doing okay.”

Kaori glanced toward the middle school section where Noa likely was.

Today was Noa’s first day at school, and Kaori had been worried about her since morning.

“I hope nothing’s gone wrong…… Maybe we should go check on her—”

Just as Kaori started to say this,

“Ugh…… Kaori-san, help me, please……”

Startled by the pained voice, she turned around.

There stood Noa, pale-faced and clutching her stomach.

“N-Noa-san!? What’s wrong!?”

“Ughh…… I ate too many helpings of the daily special at the cafeteria… My stomach hurts so much I can’t move another step……”

“Are you an idiot-maru?”

“I-I’ll go get some stomach medicine from the nurse’s office right now!”

After Kaori hurriedly fetched the medicine and Noa drank it, she recovered almost instantly.

“Phew~! That was a shock!”

“I-I’m glad you’re better.”

“Seriously, what are you doing on your very first day-maru?”

Ignoring Sumimaru’s exasperated tone, Noa—now with color back in her cheeks—spun around proudly to show off her uniform.

“By the way, how’s this uniform?”

“It’s really cute! It suits you perfectly.”

“Hmm, it does look pretty good-maru. My granddaughter can look decent in the right clothes-maru~.”

“Noa’s not your granddaughter!”

“So, how’s your class going?”

Kaori asked gently, a bit concerned about whether Noa was fitting in.

She’d been a little worried about it.

But Noa puffed out her chest happily.

“Everyone’s so nice! I nailed my self-introduction too. When I said I came from Prism Wonderland, they were all shocked!”

“You actually told them the truth!?”

“Of course I did! They were like, ‘W-Wow, that’s amazing!’ ‘You’re like an idol or something!’ and totally fawned over me!”

“They probably think it’s just a made-up backstory-maru.”

“After that, I tried explaining what Prism Wonderland is like, but they said, ‘N-Noa-chan, you just transferred, you must be tired!’ ‘Yeah, we shouldn’t pry too much!’ and were super considerate!”

“Nyu, getting pampered right after enrolling……”

“At least it sounds like they’re all good kids-maru.”

Noa looked thrilled, but then glanced up at the clock and jumped.

“Oh no! I promised a classmate I’d let her show me around the school!”

As she started heading back to her classroom, she paused and turned around.

“Oh, by the way, I heard from a classmate that Kaori-san’s a student council officer at Ousei Academy, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“That’s amazing! Right now, I’m going with the setup of being ‘Kaori-san’s little sister’s friend’! I’ve got to make a name for myself at this school so I don’t embarrass that role!”

“Y-You don’t have to try that hard!”

“She’s gonna cause some trouble-maru~.”

“Uuuoooo~~~! Time gonna do it~~~!”

Watching Noa dash off energetically, Kaori’s brows furrowed.

“Noa-san seems really motivated, but I hope she’s okay…… I just hope it doesn’t turn into something weird…”

“It’ll be fine-maru! I’ll give Noa some solid advice, so no need to worry-maru!”

“Th-That might actually make me more worried……?”

And so, a new breeze began to blow through Ousei Academy.

♦♦♦

“Lately, there haven’t been any Debipachis around—pretty peaceful, huh?”

“That’s a good thing-maru. Thanks to that, I can enjoy manga and anime in peace-maru~!”

One day after school, Kaori was walking through the school hallway with Sumimaru, still pretending to be a keychain.

She’d promised to walk home with Noa today and was on her way to pick her up from the middle school section.

“What kind of stories do you like, Sumimaru-san?”

“I’ll watch anything-maru! Especially fantasy stuff with lots of girls—those are the best-maru~. Right now, I’m hooked on this anime with tons of cute girls and super intense battles—it’s amazing-maru!”

While Sumimaru rambled enthusiastically, it kept eyeing every girl in a club uniform they passed, practically drooling over them.

“Ufufufu, those girls we just passed were so cute-maru! Those frilly skirts—irresistible-maru~!”

“That’s the tennis club’s uniform.”

“So pretty and perfect-maru~. Oh, that one’s from the basketball club-maru? And over there’s volleyball and badminton! So many cute girls all in one place—I mean, tons of different clubs-maru~! A feast for the eyes-maru~!”

“Ousei Academy has a lot of clubs. Besides sports, there’s the glass art club, the film studies club, and even a gaming club.”

“Gaming club!? I’d totally join that-maru~! —Wait, tons of girls in uniforms are coming out of that room-maru! Could it be… the girls’ changing room-maru!? Emergency-maru! I sense a need for patrol-maru! It’s my duty as a guardian fairy to protect the school’s peace—I’ve got no choice but to charge in-maru~!”

“N-No, you can’t, Sumimaru-san~!”

As Kaori struggled to hold back a squirming Sumimaru, she overheard a conversation from some girls leaving the changing room.

“Hey, did you hear? There’s a girl giving amazing massages in an empty clubroom behind the gym!”

“I heard! They say she’s a middle schooler, and super cute too!”

“And apparently her massages are so good, they melt away all your muscle soreness and fatigue!”

“Really? If it’s true, I might have to try it!”

“……A middle school girl giving massages in an empty clubroom……?”

Kaori tilted her head, while Sumimaru froze, his face twitching.

“Wait, could it be…… No, no way-maru……”

“What’s wrong, Sumimaru-san?”

“N-Nothing-maru!”

“Is that so? Still, that’s strange. You’re supposed to file a request with the student council to use an empty room, but I don’t recall any application like that…… Let’s go check it out.”

“Eh!? W-Wait-maru, Kaori~!”

As a student council officer, Kaori had a duty to ensure the school’s facilities and equipment weren’t being misused.

Ignoring Sumimaru’s protests, she hurried toward the back of the gym.

“It’s just up ahead.”

Kaori quickly turned the corner and—

“Step right up, step right up! Welcome to Bunny-chan’s Ultimate Massage Parlor~!”

There stood Noa, dressed as a bunny girl, beckoning customers.

“N-Noa-san!?”

“Oh, Kaori-san!”

Noa’s face lit up, while Sumimaru clutched its head in despair.

“Oh no, it really is her-maru……!”

“Wh-What are you doing!? What’s with that outfit!?”

“fu fu fu, check it out—I found the perfect job!”

Noa spun gracefully on her heels.

She was wearing bunny ears on her head and a fluffy white tail on her backside.

“I’m making money with massages in this outfit to pay this month’s rent!”

“N-No, you can’t do something so shameless!”

“Huh? But Sumimaru said if I did massages dressed as a bunny, I’d rake in cash hand over fist!”

“Is that true, Sumimaru-san!?”

Sumimaru, however, gave Noa a deadpan side-eye.

“Well, I did say that-maru, but it was obviously a joke-maru.”

“Eeh!? It was a joke!? I totally believed it!?”

“I never thought you’d actually do something this embarrassing-maru…… A bunny girl giving massages in a sacred school? Unbelievable-maru. You’re clearly a weirdo-maru……”

“Y-you’re the one who told me it was a good idea~~~! You traitor~~~~!”

As Noa shook Sumimaru furiously, Kaori spoke up gently.

“Anyway, if it’s about rent, you could’ve talked to me—I could’ve paid—oh, wait, magical girl rules forbid that, don’t they?”

“Ugh, yeah…… Especially this month, I spent a ton of money and I’m in a real pinch~.”

“What did you even spend it on?”

“I found this magazine in the park, and on the back, there was an ad with a guy soaking in a bath of money, drinking champagne, saying, ‘Wanna get rich too?’ It said if I paid, they’d teach me the secret to getting rich, so I wired the money—but I haven’t heard a peep since……”

“You didn’t get scammed, did you!?”

“There’s no way a deal that good is real-maru.”

Noa lifted her bunny-eared head with determination.

“Anyway, I’ve got no choice but to earn money any way I can now! When I started this massage thing, people actually gave me snacks as thanks, and some even tipped me! The other day, I got three whole 100-yen coins~!”

“Uh, that’s not exactly a big haul……?”

“Plus, word’s going around that getting a massage from Noa before exercise makes your muscles feel amazing! I make money, everyone gets relaxed—it’s a win-win! Oh, and as a thank-you for always helping me, Kaori-san, you should try it too!”

“Eh? No, I’m fine—”

“You must be tired from all the magical girl stuff you’re not used to! Come on, don’t be shy—step inside!”

Before she could protest, Kaori was dragged in.

A mat was laid out inside, and she was forcefully made to lie down.

“Kya!?”

“It’s okay, just relax and leave it to Noa!”

“N-Noa-san, I’m fine, really! More importantly, you shouldn’t be doing this—hyan!?”

“Wow, Kaori-san, your legs are so slim and pretty! Alright, here we go!”

With that, Noa began massaging Kaori’s legs over her black tights.

“W-Wait, I’m really okay—ah……!”

“Whoa~! These thighs are pure bliss to massage!”

“S-Stop it……!”

“I’ve been meaning to say this, but Kaori-san, you look amazing in black tights! This curve right here—it’s irresistible!”

“Fuwaah……!?”

“Wow, the texture of these tights is so smooth and nice~!”

“Hya, Noa-san…!”

“Uuoooogh, this is great-maru, so great-maru~! Go wilder~~~!”

At some point, Sumimaru had reverted to its fairy form and was now filming from every angle with a cutesy camera.

“S-Sumimaru-san, what’s that!?”

“It’s the ‘Magical Capture-Anything-kun’-maru! The low resolution’s a bummer-maru, but it saves the footage to the Magical Cloud so I can watch it anytime-maru!”

“S-Stop it~!”

“Come on, Kaori-san, this is my big thank-you for all your help—I’m gonna give you tons of service~!”

“No, not there… nn…!”

“Uhyoooohhhhhhh!”

Sumimaru, apparently too excited to contain itself, bolted out of the room.

“This is priceless footage-maru! I’ve gotta record it in high-definition! I’ll borrow a camera from the film studies club real quick—squish!”

“Kya!?”

In its frantic dash, Sumimaru got stepped on by a passing girl.

“S-Sorry, I stepped on someone’s stuffed toy!”

The girl picked up the flattened Sumimaru, panicking as she looked around—then noticed Kaori pinned down by Noa in the clubroom.

“Huh? Kaori, what’re you doing?”

“Ah, K-Kaede-san!”

It was Kazama Kaede, Yuuya’s classmate.

Her bright hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her lively appearance stood out.

Her slender, healthy limbs contrasted with her notably full chest.

Judging by her track team uniform, she’d probably come to the clubroom to grab some equipment.

“Oh, wait, is this squid plushie yours, Kaori? Sorry, I stepped on it over there……!”

“Uh, kind of, but not really…… Anyway, thank you.”

Finally released from the massage, Kaori received Sumimaru, who was pretending to be a stuffed toy, and bowed her head.

“Um, by the way, who’s that……?”

Receiving Kaede’s slightly bewildered gaze, Noa, dressed as a bunny girl, gave a sharp salute.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Noa! I’m a friend of Kaori-san’s little sister, currently studying abroad at the middle school!”

“Oh, I see! I’m Kazama Kaede. I’m in a different class from Kaori, but we’re friends. Nice to meet you!”

“Pleased to meet you too!”

Kaede tilted her head curiously once more.

“By the way, Noa-chan, what’s with that outfit……?”

“Yes! I’m giving massages to everyone who’s tired! It’s a huge hit—people say it loosens up their muscles like crazy!”

“Oh, so that’s why you were massaging Kaori.”

As Kaori stood up, she looked at Kaede’s uniform with a fresh curiosity.

“Come to think of it, Kaede-san, you’re in the track team, right? Are you heading to practice now?”

“Yup! There’s a track meet this weekend, and I’m competing as a short-distance runner!”

“Oh, really? It’s amazing that a first-year got picked for the team!”

“Hehe, thanks! I’ve been practicing really hard, so I want to do my best for the team…… but I might’ve overdone it a little. My muscles are all stiff, so I came to the clubroom to grab some icing spray.”

Kaede said this with a wry smile—then Noa’s eyes lit up with a sense of purpose.

“What!? A competition’s coming up, and this is a crisis! Leave it to me—it’s Noa’s time to shine! I’ll knead those muscles into shape with all I’ve got!”

“Eh, eh?”

“Come on, lie face down!”

Noa practically tackled Kaede and pushed her onto the mat.

“Hyah!? Noa-chan, not so suddenly…”

“T-This—your butt’s super tense! I’ll knead it thoroughly!”

“Kyaa!?”

“Hngh, this is a worthy challenge—worth it for a track team member who pushes their body to the limit! Here I goooo!”

“Hyaahhh!?”

“This squishy butt—time to grind it down! Raaaargh!”

“N-No, Noa-chan, stop it……!”

“Oh no, are you okay, Kaede-san……!?”

While Kaori panicked, Sumimaru had somehow gotten close and was staring at Kaede being massaged.

“Ufufufu~ A cute ponytailed track girl getting her butt massaged—top-tier-maru~!”

“Hyaah!? T-The squid plushie talked!?”

“Oh, uh, it’s actually an AI-equipped stuffed toy!”

“O-Oh, I see. Plushies these days are so high-tech—Hyah, Noa-chan…….!?”

“Come on, Kaede-san, relax and leave your body—no, your butt—to Noa! Mghhh!”

“Waaah!? I-It hurts~~~……!”

“N-Noa-san, stop it~!”

“Here we go, full steam ahead—Oryaa~~~~!”

“Stop it—!?”

“Hah, hah, looking good-maru! Go bolder, more daring—”

“Sumimaru-san, don’t look!”

“Ah~~~~~! My eyes are covered, I can’t see anything-maru—let me go-maru~~~~~~~!”

And then, a few minutes later.

Having had her butt kneaded beyond belief, Kaede lay exhausted on the mat.

“Haa, haa…”

“Huh!? Sorry, I got too carried away……!”

“Oh no, are you okay, Kaede-san!?”

“Y-Yeah, somehow—”

Kaede got up with Kaori’s help.

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

“Huh? My legs feel super light!?”

“Hehe, how’s that!”

Kaori, a beat late, noticed her own change.

“Come to think of it, me too…… I feel more mobile than usual, and breathing’s easier.”

“Amazing, Noa-chan! Where did you learn this kind of skill?”

“Heh. Noa kept screwing up at work, and every time my magical girl-senpai had to clean up my mess, they’d make me massage them until my arms felt like they’d fall off as punishment. Thanks to that, my massage skills are the best in Prism Wonderland!”

“That’s not something to brag about-maru.”

“M-Making your junior give massages…… Magical girls are surprisingly hardcore, huh…”

“Wow, it’s like real magic—I feel like I’ve grown wings!”

Kaede bounced around, testing her body’s sensation.

Then, overcome with gratitude, she grabbed Noa’s hands.

“Thank you! With this, I might set a new record! You’re the world’s best masseuse, Noa-chan!”

“Hehe, cut it out!”

“Oh, but sorry, I don’t have anything to thank you with right now……”

“No need for thanks—it’s Noa’s way of cheering you on!”

“Oh, I see…… Then I’ll take you up on that—thank you! I’ll do my best so I can report good results!”

Kaori smiled and called out to Kaede too.

“We’re rooting for you, Kaede-san!”

“Yeah, thanks, Kaori, Noa-chan!”

Kaede waved big and walked off.

Kaori smiled as she watched her cheerful figure disappear.

“I’ve seen Kaede-san practicing late so many times. I hope she gets good results.”

“Yes! She was so kind and bright—a really great person! I hope she does well!”

“Ufufufu, I’d love to see Kaede-chan gracefully tearing up the track someday-maru~”

“Yes. I hope all her hard work pays off with lots of success.”

The two girls and one creature left the school, taking the long way home.

It had become their habit to help Noa get used to the town quickly while also checking for anything unusual on their way back.

“Noa-san, are you getting used to this town a little?”

“Yes! Thanks to Kaori-san, I’m starting to remember the streets and shops!”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Today, I was planning to stop by the supermarket for some groceries—oh no!”

“Kyaa!?”

Noa suddenly shouted, causing Kaori to stop in surprise.

“W-What’s wrong, Noa-san?”

“Ugh, in the end, all I got from today’s massages was one chocolate, two candies, a hairpin, a half-used eraser, and a mysterious screw… This won’t fill my stomach! Ugh, it’s bean sprouts for a while again……”

“Um, I’ll pay for my massage—”

“No way! Charging for something I offered for free afterward is unforgivable for a businessperson! Absolutely not!”

“But you’re not even a businessperson-maru. Geez, Noa’s stubborn about the weirdest things-maru~”

As Sumimaru sighed, it was true—Noa was greedy about money but stuck to her decisions no matter what.

Noa kept insisting.

“Besides, the cafeteria’s ‘Student Daily Lunch’ is free, so I can get by on weekdays with that! A fancy, nutritious, delicious meal for free—thank goodness for this elite school~! When you think about it, I can handle three meals of bean sprouts on weekends!”

Noa clasped her hands dreamily.

But, perhaps because her growing body couldn’t subsist on that alone, her stomach growled loudly.

Kaori thought for a moment, then suggested brightly,

“Noa-san, I heard from a classmate…… There’s a new café near the station that just opened. Would you like to go together this weekend? They’ve got classics like pasta and curry rice, and the sweets are supposed to be delicious too!”

“Whoaaa!? I’d love to go……! But this month, money’s tight……”

To the drooping Noa, Kaori smiled.

“Leave it to me. I’ll cover your share too.”

“Eh, really!? Is that okay!?”

“Yes.”

“As expected of a mega-rich heiress! I’ll lick your shoes—! lick lick…… Wait, no! Getting treated to food would break magical girl rules~!”

“That’s right-maru. If it got out that a magical girl let a local helper treat her, she’d be tied to an Amazon River waterwheel and fed to piranhas bit by bit-maru!”

“Gyaaa~! No way~! I don’t wanna be nibbled on like a snack by piranhas~!”

But Kaori, anticipating this, raised a finger with a smug little grin.

“Then how about this: ‘I really want to go, so I’d like Noa-san to come with me. The payment is my thank-you for that.’ How’s that?”

“Whoaaa!? That wouldn’t break the rules! I can finally eat my fill of something other than daily lunch—yay~!”

“To think there’d be such a loophole……! Kaori’s amazing-maru! I’m excited for the café too-maru~!”

“You’re not invited Sumimaru—stay away!”

“But i wanna eat stylish pasta at a stylish café too-maru~~~~!”

“Hehe. Let’s eat lots of delicious, nutritious food, okay?”

And so, the two girls and one creature happily made their way home.

♦♦♦

“Woow, it looks so delicious!”

And so came the weekend morning.

Kaori and Noa were at the café.

In front of Noa was a lineup of freshly made dishes.

“Yay! Hamburgers, omurice, and Neapolitan♪ It’s a dream come true~♪ Oh, excuse me! I’d also like a parfait, pancakes, and pudding à la mode!”

“No way, that’s too much-maru.”

“I-It’s fine to eat a lot, but are you sure your stomach can handle it……!?”

Noa, clearly overjoyed, hummed as she devoured the massive pile of food.

Kaori ate her French toast while gently watching over Noa.

“Phew, that was so good! It’s been fifteen years since I last ate this much nutritious food!”

“Hehe, that’s good—fifteen years!?”

“Obviously a lie-maru. Just the other day, you stuffed yourself with daily lunch and got a stomachache-maru.”

“Heh heh heh~! Nutrition maxed out, power fully charged! Right now, Noa could run to the other side of the Earth—Uuuoooooh!”

Kaori smiled at Noa, who looked ready to bolt, then suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, by the way, today’s Kaede-san’s competition day, isn’t it?”

“That’s right! She’s probably doing her best right now~”

As the two looked up at the blue sky outside the window—

Beep! Beep! Beep!

With an alarm sound, Sumimaru’s enpera flashed red.

“Huh!? I sense Debipachi-maru!”

““Eeeeh!?””

“Head to the scene-maru!”

“Okay!”

Kaori stood up immediately.

But Noa shook her head with a serious expression.

“Noa can’t go.”

“N-Noa-san!? Why…… Is something wrong……!?”

“She’s not about to say she’s too full to move, is she-maru!?”

“No…… I haven’t ordered the ‘Supreme Cream Soda’ yet!”

“You’re still planning to eat more!?”

“Kaori-san, don’t you know!? The Supreme Cream Soda is this café’s star item—it’s written on the sign out front! Made with ultra-picky ingredients, it’s a super-special cream soda only served a few times a year! If I miss it today, I might never get to try it—”

“This isn’t the time for that-maru! We need to hurry-maru!”

“Nooo, my cream soda~!”

“Once we deal with Debipachi-san, we’ll come back for it as a reward, okay?”

“Ughh, you better promise~!”

And so, after settling the bill, the two dashed off, following Sumimaru’s lead.

♦♦♦

“T-This place is—”

The two girls and one creature, out of breath, looked up at the building at the scene.

“The track team’s competition venue!?”

Guided by Sumimaru, they had arrived at none other than the outdoor stadium where the track meet Kaede had mentioned she’d be competing in was being held.

“That Debipachi must be planning to ruin the competition!”

“We can’t let that happen!”

In the minds of Kaori and the others flashed Kaede’s smiling face saying, “I’ll do my very best at the competition!”

“Let’s head into the venue right away!”

“Yes!”

“Wait-maru!”

Sumimaru raised its voice with a stern expression.

“S-Sumimaru-san? What’s wrong?”

“This is a sacred place where only athletes who’ve trained hard and those who genuinely support them can enter…… To sneak in without being suspected, we need disguises-maru!”

“Uh, I don’t think our clothes really matter that much.”

“No way-maru! With that half-hearted attitude, you’ll never fit in at this holy competition-maru! We absolutely, positively need disguises-maru!”

“B-But what should we disguise ourselves as……!?”

“No worries-maru! I’m the Versatile High-Mobility Support Guardian Fairy Octo-Type Model Zero-One—leave the costume change to me-maru!”

“O-Okay, got it!”

And a few minutes later.

“Wow, so this is the competition venue! It’s so huge~!”

“This is my first time coming inside too. It feels even bigger than it looks from the outside.”

Kaori and Noa were now in the stands of the stadium.

—Dressed as cheerleaders.

“Phew. Anyway, I’m glad we managed to sneak in safely!”

“Yes, amazing work, Sumimaru-san! No one will suspect us like this…… Wait, wouldn’t normal clothes have been fine too!?”

The stands were filled with school staff, athletes’ families, and others, and Kaori and Noa, holding pom-poms in their cheerleader outfits, clearly stood out.

Kaori couldn’t help but shout, and Sumimaru shook its head vigorously.

“Normal clothes won’t do-maru! To find Debipachi, we need to check every nook and cranny-maru! The cheerleader outfits are perfect to avoid suspicion-maru~ Hehehehe~”

“Isn’t it just that Sumimaru wanted to see Kaori-san in a cheerleader outfit?”

Noa shot a scornful look at the wriggling Sumimaru.

Meanwhile, Kaori wore a serious expression beside them.

“O-Oh, I see, so that’s how it is. It’s embarrassing, but if it’s for Kaede-san and the others……!”

Swallowing her embarrassment, she looked at the cheerleader outfit again.

“Still, Sumimaru-san can really produce all kinds of costumes, huh?”

“Hehe, it’s one of my proudest abilities-maru! I can whip up the coolest outfits anytime, anywhere-maru! Not just cosplay—these are top-notch pieces with careful attention to materials and design-maru~!”

“You’re like a craftsman! That’s so cool!”

“Just a pervert whose hobby got out of hand.”

Down on the field, the preliminaries were already underway.

Every athlete’s face was tense, and the air was thick with anticipation.

From the front row of the stands, Kaori scanned the field.

“It doesn’t look like Debipachi-san is here yet.”

“It’s probably hiding somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to cause trouble, just like at the maid café!”

“We don’t even know what type of Debipachi it is-maru. Stay on guard-maru!”

“Yes! For Kaede-san’s sake, we can’t let Debipachi-san do whatever it wants!”

They kept their eyes peeled, scanning the entire venue carefully.

But then……

“Fwaah, the sun’s so strong though……”

Noa blinked her eyes rapidly.

Since the stadium was outdoors, the sun beat down mercilessly.

“There’s trouble-maru! UV rays are the skin’s worst enemy-maru! Use this sunscreen-maru!”

Sumimaru pulled out a tube of sunscreen from somewhere.

“This is a special sunscreen just for cute cheerleader girls—‘Magical No-UVs-Allowed-kun’-maru!”

“M-Magical No-UVs-Allowed-kun……?”

“Why do you even have something like that?”

“I prepared it in advance for situations like this-maru! Hehehe, come on, Kaori, leave it to me-maru~ I’ll rub it all over with my smooth tentacles-maru~!”

“Uh, um……”

“No way I’d let you do that, you perverted squid! I’ll apply it myself—give it here!”

Noa snatched the sunscreen from Sumimaru and started applying it with Kaori.

“Noa-san, you should put some on the back of your neck too. I’ll help you.”

“Thank you so much! As thanks, I’ll put some on you too!”

“Kya! Noa-san, that tickles……!”

“Kaori-san, don’t move! Oh, we can’t forget your ears either!”

“Ngh, hya, it’s all tingly……!”

“Kaori-san, you’re so ticklish~!”

The two played around while applying the sunscreen.

The athletes and people around them started murmuring at the sight.

“Hey, what’s with that precious scene……!?”

“I’ve never seen such cute cheerleaders before!”

“Uh, why are they cheerleaders anyway……? Well, they’re cute, so it’s fine!”

“Getting cheered on by girls like that would totally pump me up!”

“Ahh, I wanted to apply it-maru~! But yeah, watching them put sunscreen on each other is the true joy of sports spectating-maru~! Good job-maru~ Ufufufu—huh? Wait, that runner on that course……”

Sumimaru glanced at the track and noticed something.

Following Sumimaru’s gaze, Kaori let out a shout.

“Ah! That’s…… Kaede-san!”

On that course, the 100-meter dash preliminaries were happening, and Kaede had just crossed the finish line in first place.

“Wow, amazing!”

“Kaede-san took first place by a mile! So cool~!”

Kaede noticed Noa and Kaori in the stands, her ponytail swaying as she ran over.

“Kaori, Noa-chan! You came!”

“Yes! That was incredible, Kaede-san!”

“You made it through the prelims!”

“Hehe, all that practice paid off!”

Kaede made a V-sign, then tilted her head slightly.

“By the way, why are you two dressed as cheerleaders?”

“Oh, uh, well……”

“Obviously, it’s to cheer you on with all we’ve got! We’ll cheer like our lives depend on it in the finals~! Go, go~!”

“Y-Yes! Go, go!”

Matching Noa’s enthusiastic shouting, Kaori waved her pom-poms with all her might.

The adorably charming scene drew the attention of everyone in the venue.

“Whoa, those cute cheerleaders are cheering! Just watching them gives me energy!”

“They’re like idols! What school are they from?”

“Getting to see something that cute for free…… Competing was worth it!”

Thanks to their adorable cheering, the morale of every athlete in the venue soared.

“Thanks! I was a little nervous, but knowing you two are cheering for me gives me strength! I’ll give it my all in the finals too!”

Kaede waved brightly and headed back to her team.

“Ahh, Kaede-chan’s so cute-maru~! The track uniform and swaying ponytail combo is perfection-maru~!”

“I hope all her practice leads to great results!”

“We’ll cheer with everything we’ve got!”

“Yes! And we need to stay ready to move at any moment in case Debipachi-san shows up……!”

While sending cheers, Kaori and the others kept an eye on the venue.

Noa was utterly fascinated by the variety of track events she was seeing for the first time.

“Still, there are so many events~! What’s that one over there where they jump and measure the distance?”

“That’s the long jump.”

“Oh, Kaori-san, look! There’s a weird tool! Could it be…… a secret device for digging up gold and treasure!?”

“That’s a rake. It’s a tool for leveling the soil.”

“Whoa, what’s that flying disc!? Could it be…… a UFO!? If we caught it and put it on display, we’d rake in tons of cash~!”

“Uh, I think that’s the discus for the discus throw……”

“Hmm, what’s that fancy-looking cup over there!?”

“That’s th trophy. The winner gets it.”

“Whoa~! A shiny, golden cup like that would definitely sell for a fortune! I’ll just join in and grab one~!”

“N-No, Noa-san! Besides, trophies are meant to be treasured and displayed, not sold!”

With their extraordinary cuteness, the two cheerleaders making a commotion in the front row stood out like sore thumbs.

“Watching those girls is loosening up my nerves!”

“They’re so soothing!”

“Ahh, they’re too cute…… I wish they’d become our school’s exclusive cheerleaders!”

At a high-pressure competition, the two served as a refreshing break, earning rave reviews from athletes and spectators alike.

Eventually, all the preliminary events concluded, and the finals for each event began.

“The finals are finally here!”

“But Debipachi still hasn’t shown up-maru. I’ve been sensing its presence the whole time though-maru……”

“……I’ve got a bad feeling about this……”

Clutching her chest where unease swirled, Kaori watched the athletes running the long-distance track—

“—Ah!”

Without warning, the lead runner tripped and fell.

“Ow, that looks painful!”

“I hope they’re okay……”

The stands buzzed with unease.

“Hey, are they alright?”

“Come to think of it, didn’t another athlete fall earlier too?”

“Yes. Thankfully it’s just scrapes, but it’s worrying……”

“The injured athletes said their feet got caught on something. They checked the field just in case, but they didn’t find anything.”

“That’s kind of creepy……”

Though the interrupted finals resumed, accidents and injuries started piling up like a dam had burst.

The situation was so unnatural that Kaori’s face stiffened.

“Could this be……?”

In that instant, Sumimaru’s fins trembled violently, glowing brightly.

“My enpera’s reacting-maru! Debipachi’s presence is getting stronger…… There’s no doubt, this is Debipachi’s doing-maru!”

“But we still can’t see Debipachi itself!”

As Noa said, there wasn’t a single suspicious shadow on the field.

With the cause unknown, unease and worry grew louder among the athletes and spectators.

“This is bad-maru! This atmosphere is Debipachi’s favorite-maru……!”

“So far, it’s just minor injuries, but if this keeps up, a major accident is only a matter of time. We need to find it fast…..!”

Kaori and the others strained their eyes desperately.

“Ah! I found it—it’s over there!”

Kaori pointed to a course further back.

It was the course where the 100-meter dash finals were about to take place.

Halfway down that course, black tentacles were protruding from the ground.

The tentacles were cleverly lurking in the shadows, unnoticed by anyone else.

“That Debipachi’s hiding underground and tripping the athletes!”

“What!? There’s a Debipachi that can do that……!?”

“A tricky type that moves underground-maru! We need to deal with it fast……! Both of you, transform-maru!”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

Kaori nodded and raised her staff.

With full determination, she shouted her incantation.

“‘Sparkling, Shining, in this Seven-Colored World! Perfect Pure Princess, Dress Up!’ Here we go!”

“‘Sparkling, Shining, in this Seven-Colored’— Achoo, achoo, achoo!”

“Noa-san!?”

Halfway through Noa’s incantation, a dazzling light burst forth.

And then, the two appeared, transformed into their costume forms.

“Wait, so you can still transform anyway!?”

“It’s all about the spirit! Magical Girl PapiPuri, reporting for duty!”

“Woo~! So cool-maru~!”

The sudden appearance of magical girls made the surrounding crowd gape in shock.

“W-What!? Magical girls!?”

“Where did they come from!?”

“Oh! I saw those girls on SNS! They took down a weird octopus at a maid café!”

Kaori and Noa leaned over the railing.

There was quite a distance between their spot and the course where Debipachi was lurking.

“We need to take down Debipachi-san fast……!”

“It’s too far from here-maru! We need to hurry……!”

“Ah! Look, Kaede-san is……!”

Noa pointed to the starting line.

Among the athletes lining up at the start, there was Kaede.

And midway down that course, Debipachi lay in wait.

“Big trouble-maru! Kaede-chan’s going to be Debipachi’s prey-maru!”

“What do we do!? We won’t make it in time…… Wait, Noa-san!?”

Before anyone could stop her, Noa lept down to the field.

“If we don’t hurry, Kaede-san will…… Something, anything useful, something, anything—Ah, this’ll do!”

Grabbing a nearby rake, she chanted a spell in a rush.

“Uh, ‘Thou, inner radiance, by my prayer grant magical power……’—No time for spells! Oryaaaa~~~~~~~~~!”

Kyuiiiiiin!

Instantly, the rake glowed with a rainbow colored light.

Noa tossed the dazzling rake up to Kaori.

“Kaori-san, catch this!”

“W-Wahhh!? T-This rake……!?”

“I turned it into a magical tool! Use it—hurry!”

“Uh, um, how do I use it……!?”

“Don’t you know!? You ride it and fly!”

“I can fly with this!?”

“It’s a magical girl classic to fly on a broom!”

“This isn’t a broom though!?”

At that moment, the starting signal blared.

Kaede began running down the course where Debipachi waited.

“Ah, Kaede-san……!”

“Go, please! With your Prism Power, Kaori-san, you can make it in time!”

“Y-Yes!”

Kaori straddled the rake.

Suppressing her panic, she channeled her power into it.

“Please, Mr. Rake! Haaaa~~~~~~!”

“Go for it~!”

The next moment, the rake floated upward—and with a DOSHUN!, it shot off at incredible speed.

“Hyaahhhhh~~~~~!?”

“W-Woah!? T-That’s some insane speed!”

“Kaori’s Prism Power is off the charts-maru!”

“Awa-wa-wa, it’s hard to steer~~~!”

Kaori soared into the sky, executed a graceful loop, and descended straight toward the course.

On the course, Kaede was leading the pack.

“(Hah, hah……! This is good…… If I keep this up……!)”

Breathing heavily, she focused solely on the finish line ahead.

But then—

“Gya gya gya~!”

“Kyaa!?”

A tentacle shot up from the ground and wrapped around Kaede’s leg.

Running at full speed, Kaede stumbled hard.

“W-What is this……!? Ah—!”

Her wide-open eyes filled with the sight of the ground rushing closer.

If she fell like this, not only would she lose, but a serious injury was inevitable.

Depending on the injury, it could even end her athletic career.

“No way…… After all that hard work……!”

As Kaede instinctively shut her eyes—

“Kaede-saaaaaaan!”

Byuoooooo!

With a gust of wind, something swooped in, wrapping Kaede up and whisking her away.

“Eek!?”

Kaede cautiously opened her eyes and gasped.

Unbelievably, she was floating in the air.

Someone’s arms were holding her.

Her rescuer was a magical girl riding a glowing rake.

“I-I made it in time……!”

“W-Who are you!?”

“Uh!? Um, j-just a passing magical girl!”

Kaori answered while checking the situation below.

The other runners on the course had stopped, bewildered by the sudden wind.

The tentacle, having lost its prey, seemed to retract into the ground.

Confirming this, Kaori flew on and set Kaede down in the stands.

“Are you injured?”

“N-No, I’m fine, thank you. But earlier, it felt like something grabbed my leg—what was that……?”

“Gya gya gya~!”

“!!!”

They turned at the sound of a bizarre roar.

On the field, a massive tentacle had emerged.

“Eek……!? W-What is that……!?”

“It’s bigger than any Debipachi-san we’ve seen before…!”

Kaori’s voice faltered.

The tentacle that had suddenly thrust up from the center of the field was about a meter long.

It seemed enraged at losing Kaede.

It writhed, seeking new prey.

“Gya gya gya~~~!”

“Waaaaaah!?”

“W-What’s with this black tentacle!?”

As athletes nearby fled, the tentacle sank back into the ground—only to reappear in the path of those trying to escape.

“Gigyaa~~~~~!”

“Wah!? It popped up over here now!?”

“This thing’s chasing us……!?”

With the tentacle appearing unpredictably, the venue descended into panic.

Kaede paled with fear.

“Wait, was that tentacle the thing that grabbed my leg earlier……!?”

“Kaede-san, get away from here! Stay as far from the field as possible!”

“O-Okay! Thank you, magical girl!”

Kaede shouted her thanks and ran off.

Noa and Sumimaru rushed to Kaori’s side.

“You made it in time! Amazing, Kaori-san!”

“Noa-san, Sumimaru-san! That tentacle……”

“It’s Debipachi-maru! That thing’s moving fast underground-maru!”

The tentacle chased fleeing people, blocked their paths, and repeated its tricky movements, plunging everyone into terror.

“Its main body’s hiding underground! We can’t purify it like this!”

“And its movements are unpredictable-maru…! We need to figure out how to drag the main body out-maru!”

Kaori held her breath, focusing on the tentacle’s behavior—then suddenly leaned forward.

“That Debipachi-san seems to react to the fastest-moving things!”

“! Ah, you’re right!”

As Kaori pointed out, Debipachi appeared to target the fastest-moving prey on the field.

“Incredible-maru! Great catch, Kaori-maru!”

“If we know its habits, we’ve got this!”

Noa roared, scanning the area.

“Uh, something good, something useful—! Ah, this’ll work……!”

“That’s—a cheerleader’s pom-pom!?”

“‘Thou, inner radiance, by my prayer……’—Oh, whatever! Ooryaaaa~~~!”

“What even is the point of incantations……!?”

Noa grabbed the pom-pom and infused it with magic.

Kyuiiiiiin!

The pom-pom glowed dazzlingly with magical power.

Noa handed the enchanted pom-pom to Kaori.

“Kaori-san, cheer for me with this!”

“Huh!? Cheer!?”

“Yes! This is a magical pom-pom—um, let’s call it the Special Magical Shiny Pom-Pom!”

“S-Special Magical Shiny Pom-Pom!?”

“She totally just made that up-maru……!”

“Cheering with this Special Magical Shiny Pom-Pom boosts your allies’ abilities! I’ll run as bait to lure it out!”

“W-Wait, that’s dangerous! And just luring it might not be enough to get it out from underground……!?”

“Uh!? Um, uh…… Oh! We’ll use this!”

“That’s—the measuring tape from the long jump!?”

Noa infused the measuring tape with magic.

“‘Thou, inner radiance, by my……’—Ugh, spells are such a hassle! Take this~~~!”

“The incantations keep getting shorter……!”

Noa gripped the enchanted measuring tape tightly and glared at Debipachi.

“Anyway, I’ve got a secret plan!”

“A secret plan……!?”

“No time to explain right now!”

Noa faced Debipachi with a stern expression.

“Besides, that thing…… That thing, I have to take down myself……!”

“Noa-san…… You can’t forgive Debipachi for ruining the competition that much, huh……!”

Leaving the deeply moved Kaori behind, Noa gracefully descended onto the field.

Taking a crouching start position, she glared at the black tentacle with a serious expression.

“The type of Debipachi that burrows underground has a quirky flavor that pairs perfectly with vinegar soy sauce and fetches a super high price…… I’ll definitely catch it myself!”

“That’s your reason!?”

“As petty as ever-maru~”

“Kaori-san, cheer for me!”

“O-Okay……! G-Go, go, Noa-san!”

Steeling herself, Kaori raised the Special Magical Shiny Pom-Pom high and cheered.

Instantly, Noa’s body was enveloped in a dazzling aura.

“W-What!? T-This power surging through me—it’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt……!”

“Kaori, raise your arms higher-maru! Jump around energetically!”

“Yes! G-Go, go, Noa-san!”

“Hehe, nice-maru~! A glimpse of that cute navel-maru! Lift your legs too-maru~! Higher, reach for the sky!”

“Fight, fight, Noa-san~!”

“Uuooooh! T-this incredible power is filling me up! I can do this! Here I go—Doryaaaa~~~!”

“Kaori, lift your legs higher-maru! Yes-maru, perfect-maru! Hehe, this angle’s the best-maru—Oof!?”

Noa stomped on Sumimaru, who’d been leering up at Kaori, and bolted off with explosive speed.

Zudodododododo! Kicking up a cloud of dust, she dashed across the field.

“Debipachi, you’ll pay this month’s rent~!”

“S-She’s fast!”

“Gya gya gya!”

“Debipachi’s reacting-maru!”

Debipachi, which had been targeting other athletes, instantly rushed in on Noa.

Its tentacles rushed toward her at high speed, trying to ensnare her—

“Watch out, Noa-san!”

“Gotcha! Magical Measure!”

Something shot out from Noa’s hand and wrapped around the tentacle.

“That’s…… the measuring tape from earlier-maru!”

“Take thissss! Rent-fishing time~!”

“Gya gya gya~!?”

“N-Noa-san, your amazing!”

Bolstered by Kaori’s cheers, Noa’s enhanced strength effortlessly dragged the main body out from underground.

A black octopus soared into the blue sky.

“Gya gya gya……!”

“There it is-maru! That’s the main body-maru!”

Zushaahhh!

Slammed onto the ground, Debipachi glared at Noa in a fury.

“Gya gya gya~!”

“Noa-san, it’s dangerous!”

“What now-maru!?”

To Kaori and Sumimaru’s questions, Noa roared confidently.

“Honestly, I didn’t think at all about what to do after dragging it out! Plus, it’s way stronger than I expected, and I’m pretty worn out from running so hard—I don’t think I can beat it right now! This is bad!”

“N-Noa-saaan!”

“You idiot-maru!?”

“Gigya~~~!”

Debipachi charged at Noa, kicking up dirt.

“Oh no—!? Help me, someone, anyone, something—Wait, this’ll do~!”

Noa hurriedly picked up a discus from the discus throw.

“‘Thou, inner—’ Oryaa~~!”

“That’s way too abbreviated, isn’t it!?”

Noa poured power into the discus, turning it into a magical tool, and tossed it to Kaori.

“Kyaa!?”

“Kaori-san, please! You’re the only one who can finish it… Hit it with that UFO with all you’ve got!”

“This isn’t a UFO!”

“Doesn’t matter now-maru! Kaori can take it down-maru!”

“O-Okay! Haaaa~~~~~~!”

Kaori hurled the rainbow-glowing discus at Debipachi, which was about to ensnare Noa.

“Prism Discus Attaaaaack!”

Hyuuuuuuuuun!

The discus tore through the air at incredible speed—only to sail far above Debipachi and vanish into the void.

“……Oh?”

“Didn’t even graze it-maru.”

“W-Woah, it really was a UFO…… It went back to the sky……”

Kaori and the others stared blankly as the discus disappeared—

Distracted for a moment by the discus, Debipachi raised its tentacles again to crush Noa.

“Gya gya gya gya~!”

“Ugyaaaaa!? It didn’t work—I’m doomed, I’m gonna die—Help me, Kaori-saaaaan!”

“N-Noa-saaaaan!”

Then, the discus, which had vanished into the stratosphere, arced back down.

Spinning fiercely, it smashed into the side of Debipachi’s face.

“Huh?”

DOGOOOOOOOO!

“Gya gya gya~!?”

“Woahh—!? The UFO came back~!”

“Amazing-maru, Kaori! You tricked Debipachi into letting its guard down for a surprise attack—Brilliant-maru, absolutely brilliant-maru!”

“Uh!? No, that’s not what—!?”

The direct hit instantly blasted the black color off Debipachi’s body, turning it rainbow-hued.

“Gya, gya……!”

“Purifying a Debipachi that big in one shot-maru!?”

“Kaori-san, you’re unreal!”

“That’s strange, I was aiming for Debipachi-san from the start…… Anyway, I’m glad it hit!”

“Alright~! Time to collect it with the Shiny Octo-Pot-maru~!”

“Gya gya gya~!?”

Sumimaru swiftly sucked Debipachi into the takotsubo.

As Debipachi was absorbed, silence returned to the area.

Applause erupted from the stunned athletes and spectators.

“O, O, OOHHHH~~~~~~!”

“Beating a monster like that!? PapiPuri’s amazing!”

“Thank you for saving us! PapiPuri’s as strong and cute as the rumors say!”

“So cool, like a movie! I’m posting this video on SNS!”

“Oh, I-I’m glad I could help!”

The applause and cheers enveloping the venue didn’t stop for a long time.

Thus, Kaori and Noa resolved yet another incident as magical girls.

♦♦♦

“The winner of the women’s 100-meter Dash is—Ousei Academy first-year, Kazama Kaede!”

After the Debipachi chaos was resolved,

the competition resumed without issue, and all the finals concluded smoothly.

And then came the closing ceremony.

Kaede brilliantly won the rescheduled final and was to be awarded at the ceremony.

Receiving the trophy amid applause, she hugged her teammates in joy.

“You did it, Kaede!”

“You worked harder than anyone!”

“It’s thanks to all of you—thank you!”

As the closing ceremony ended and the field grew quiet,

Kaede gazed at her trophy alone, recalling the magical girl who saved her from danger.

“I won because that girl helped me. She was gone before I knew it, but…… I wanted to thank her again.”

Just then, a voice called out to her.

“Kaede-saaan!”

“Oh, Kaori, Noa-chan!”

Kaori and Noa ran up to her.

Seeing the trophy in Kaede’s arms, they smiled happily.

“We saw you take first place! Congratulations!”

“Wow, this trophy looks even shinier and more expensive up close—Ahem, I mean, it’s really beautiful!”

“Hehe, it’s thanks to your cheering. Thank you so much! ……But you know, I realized I need to work harder.”

“Huh?”

Kaori and Noa were surprised by her unexpected words.

“This competition made me realize there’s always someone better out there.”

“Even after winning?”

“What do you mean……?”

Kaede leaned forward passionately toward the puzzled pair.

“That twin-tailed magical girl…… She was sooooo fast!”

“Hweh?”

Unaware of Noa’s dumbstruck noise, Kaede continued fervently.

“Her form was perfect, her eyes fixed straight ahead, and she was just so fast…… I bet she was running for something she couldn’t compromise on. She looked so cool. ……Seeing her made me feel like I’ve still got a long way to go……”

“Ah—Hahaha……”

“K-Kaede-san, that magical girl probably went through some special training. You shouldn’t worry too much……”

“Yeah…… You’re right.”

Kaede smiled with lowered brows, then suddenly fixated on Noa’s face.

“Wait a sec…… Now that I think about it, she kinda looked like you, Noa-chan……?”

“Wha—!? N-No way, just a coincidence, right!? Uehehe, uehehehe!?”

“Noa, you’re terrible at hiding it-maru……”

At that moment, a teammate called out to Kaede.

“Oops, I’ve gotta get back to everyone! I’ll keep working harder! See you later!”

Kaede waved with a smile and dashed off lightly.

“Phew, that was close—I almost ended up as Kaede-san’s rival for no reason……!”

“But… I’m really glad Kaede-san won.”

“Yeah, she looked so happy—nothing beats that-maru~! Cute girls look best with smiles-maru! We caught Debipachi too, so case closed-maru!”

“Phew, all that running’s got me thirsty……”

Looking up at the sky as dusk began to fall, Noa suddenly shouted.

“Ah, cream soda! We promised to get that Supreme Cream Soda at the café after beating Debipachi! It’d taste amazing right now!”

“You can still eat after all that running-maru~?”

“Hehe, it’s a reward for our hard work, right?”

And so, the group headed to the café in high spirits.

However.

“N-No way…”

Arriving at the café, Noa collapsed in despair.

The sign read, ‘Supreme Cream Soda—Sold Out!’

“Oh no…… N-Noa-san, it’s too bad about today, but we’ll come back another time, okay—”

“It says ‘Next availability to be determined-maru! Wow, that Supreme Cream Soda’s elusive—when will we get it next-maru~?”

“No, nooooo……!”

“Sob sob! After all that hard work~! This is so unfair~!”

Noa’s wail of sorrow echoed into the twilight sky.

Thus, the Debipachi incident at the track meet was safely resolved.

But unbeknownst to the two, word of PapiPuri was slowly starting to spread among the people.