A/N: Daily check-in
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Agnes Tachyon noticed the body before she noticed herself slowing down.
An Uma Musume's body lay just off the campus path, half-swallowed by overgrown grass, limbs splayed on the ground.
Agnes decelerated without thinking, her run easing into a jog, then a walk, until she found herself crouching nearby, eyes fixed and unblinking. She scanned the body carefully, as if expecting hidden data to surface if she looked hard enough.
What drew the eye most, however, was the tear-shaped mark on her right cheek, lending the neutral face the illusion of silent crying.
The 'corpse' wore a strangely serene expression, as if she had transcended the mortal realm and left in peace.
No uniform she recognized.
The face offered no immediate recognition either.
That alone was enough to spark interest, a small thrill crawling up her spine as her mind began churning through possibilities.
A quiet smile curved her lips.
She extended a finger and poked the girl's arm.
Nothing happened.
Agnes tilted her head, reconsidered, then tried again with more force.
Still nothing.
She leaned in closer, peering at the girl's face, waving a hand just inches from her eyes.
No twitch. No reflex. No sign of awareness.
"Okay. Confirmed." Agnes said evenly. "Deceased. Cause of death: Unknown."
The verdict delivered with unsettling ease, she straightened up, brushed the grass from her hands, and gave a decisive nod to herself.
"Lab it is. It's not every day to see a dead body in the academy."
Of course, the 'corpse' Agnes Tachyon was talking about was Silver Tear, who had been mysteriously reduced to this state.
The young scientist hooked her arms under the girl's shoulders and started dragging her toward the path, muttering as she went. "The school did say to report any anomalies. Though you are extremely anomalous, let's skip the rule. Don't worry, we'll figure out what cause of dead you're."
The Uma Musume's eyes snapped open.
Silver Tear sucked in a sharp breath. "Can you tell me why I am being dragged around?"
Agnes screamed.
They both went down in a tangle of limbs, Agnes scrambling backward so fast she nearly rolled into the path, heart pounding as she'd just set off an experiment early.
"Why are you still ALIVE!?!" Agnes yelled, pointing accusingly.
Silver Tear pushed herself up on her elbows, blinking in confusion. "Sorry for being alive, I guess?"
Agnes pressed a hand to her chest. "You didn't respond to poking! That's a classic dead sign!"
"I was conserving energy." Silver Tear replied. "I am very hungry."
[How hungry?] The system interjected.
'So hungry I could eat a horse.' Silver Tear replied to the system's question. Of course, she wouldn't let the chance to say that joke pass.
Agnes stared. "…That's it?"
Silver Tear sat up slowly, brushing grass off her sleeves. "I got lost. The map made no sense. Every time I thought I was returning, I encountered a different building."
Agnes nodded immediately. "Yes. That happens to anyone the first time."
"I walked alone for a long time." Silver Tear continued, utterly serious. "Eventually, I was too hungry to continue navigating."
She paused, then gestured at the grass around them. "Then I remember horses eat grass."
Agnes's eyes lit up instantly. "Ah."
"And I am an Uma Musume." Silver Tear said. "Therefore, in hypothesizing, I should be able to eat grass."
Agnes clasped her hands in understanding. "Peak science."
"Though reality is not as expected." Silver Tear admitted. "I tried several samples. Different colors, textures. I even tried different chewing durations."
"There are huge differences between the two digestive systems. Uma Musume doesn't have the necessary enzymes to break down grass. You'd be incapacitated for days if you actually consumed it. Possibly weeks at worst case." Agnes pointed out flaws in Silver Tear's thoughts.
"So that's how it is." Silver Tear nodded in understanding.
Silver Tear stared at her. "…You've thought about this before, haven't you?"
Agnes smiled. "To some extent."
Seeing her unamused face, Agnes bit down on her sleeve to keep from laughing. "And then you just… photosynthesizes like plants?"
"Yes. I concluded that conserving my energy through lying down rather than walking aimlessly, and hoping that I can survive long enough till someone finds me here."
Agnes wiped her eyes, grinning. "I almost hauled you into a lab."
Silver Tear tilted her head as they started walking, her steps a little unsteady. "Would that have solved this stomach?"
"Probably not." Agnes replied cheerfully, falling into stride beside her. "But it would've been very educational to study what's inside your brain."
Silver Tear thought about that for a moment, staring ahead at the campus buildings drifting past, then sighed. "No thanks. Could you at least guide me to the cafeteria?"
She was fairly certain the unhinged girl beside her was the mad scientist type. The way Agnes's eyes kept darting around, sparkling with curiosity, did little to ease that suspicion.
"Sure. Since I almost kidnapped you under the assumption that you were deceased, we should probably exchange names before anything else happens." Agnes said, her long sleeves swinging dramatically as she walked.
"Yeah, yeah. Make it quick." Silver Tear hesitated, then nodded, her head feeling light, her thoughts sluggish from hunger.
"My name is Agnes Tachyon. Middle School Division. I'm very interested in studying the limits of Uma Musume." Agnes said brightly, spreading her arms so wide she nearly clipped a passing student.
"Middle school, huh? So how long until you can debut?" Silver Tear glanced at the girl.
"About two years, I think." Agnes slowed her pace just a little, turning her head toward Silver Tear, curiosity sharpening in her gaze. "How about you?"
"My name is Silver Tear. Special admission starting today. Debut race this year if I can find a trainer."
Agnes stopped in her tracks.
"That makes you my senpai?"
Agnes froze for exactly three seconds.
Then she lunged forward and grabbed Silver Tear's calf.
"SENPAI." Her face was suddenly inches away, eyes blazing with a dangerous mix of awe and curiosity.
"Special admission means there has to be a reason, right?" She rattled on, words tumbling out faster than her breath.
"Abnormal muscle density? Enhanced lung capacity? A unique stride pattern? Are you naturally efficient, or wildly inefficient but somehow compensated by raw output?"
Silver Tear stopped walking purely because she was being shaken by the sudden closeness. "I–I have no idea what you're talking about. Can we go to eat first?"
Agnes paused. Slowly, she loosened her grip, fingers slipping away as if she'd only just realized she was touching another person.
"…Right. Cafeteria first." she said, nodding to herself as if recalibrating priorities. "Dissection later."
"No thanks, but I will pass."
They resumed walking, this time with Agnes deliberately keeping half a step back, though her gaze never quite left Silver Tear. Students passed them in small clusters, some casting curious glances at the unfamiliar girl with the tear-shaped mark, others avoiding Agnes with a wide distance, habits formed through long experience.
As they turned a corner, the cafeteria came into view, sunlight flashing against its windows. The scent of food drifted through the air, and Silver Tear visibly straightened, her pace quickening without conscious thought.
Agnes noted the reaction with keen interest, fingers twitching as though already reaching for an invisible notebook.
"Silver Tear-senpai really is a fascinating subject."
Her smile lingered, eyes gleaming with the look of a predator that had just found an especially entertaining prey.
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A/N: I watched the movie. Agnes Tachyon is so peak.
Imagine 2-0 your opponent, then leave, refuse to elaborate further.