Chapter Summaries

Spring and Autumn Equinox interviewed Satono Crown about racing and training, impressing her with perceptive questions. Satono Crown invited her to join her team, but Spring and Autumn Equinox declined because she already had a team and Trainer in mind, while keeping her favorite idol's identity secret.

• Spring and Autumn Equinox nervously approached Satono Crown and began interviewing her at the training grounds.
• Satono Crown answered Spring and Autumn Equinox's prepared questions and practical follow-ups, becoming curious about the child's racing instincts.
• Satono Crown asked whether Spring and Autumn Equinox wanted to become a Horse Girl and invited her to join her team in the future.
• Spring and Autumn Equinox said she already had a team and Trainer she liked, then avoided naming her favorite idol when Satono Crown asked.
• Satono Crown ended the interview and returned to training as Spring and Autumn Equinox thanked her and left with a maid.

Satono Crown and Satono Diamond learned that Spring and Autumn Equinox, the child who had interviewed Satono Crown, might join Trainer Yasui’s team. Trainer Chris explained that the interview was likely an assignment and suggested Yasui was preparing Kitasan Black for a long-term change in Running Style, possibly for an overseas expedition.

• Trainer Chris showed Satono Crown a file identifying the child who had interviewed her as Spring and Autumn Equinox.
• Chris said Spring and Autumn Equinox was likely a future member of Trainer Yasui’s team, prompting Satono Diamond to mistakenly think Trainer Yasui and Little Kita had a child together.
• Satono Crown corrected Satono Diamond’s misunderstanding and asked Chris why Spring and Autumn Equinox had interviewed her.
• Chris suggested the interview was a role-playing exercise or practical assignment to familiarize a future team member with the training environment.
• Chris said Trainer Yasui and Kitasan Black had been adjusting her stride length and Running Style, likely with a long-term goal such as an overseas expedition.

Chris analyzed how Kitasan Black and Trainer Yasui might test a new running style in the Osaka Hai, then set the Satono Sisters' training plan. After Almond Eye delivered her investigation report, Anjing Zhen recognized that her insights into opponents' mental states offered a new perspective his own analysis lacked.

• Chris warned Satono Crown and Satono Diamond that Kitasan Black might struggle to adapt to a new running style and that the adjustment could give them an opening in the Osaka Hai.
• Chris assigned Satono Diamond to simulate specific opponents and told Satono Crown to sharpen her ability to predict rivals without sight and learn the Overtaking Routes.
• Spring and Autumn Equinox met Almond Eye after their secret visit, and the two returned to Shibuya to discuss what they had learned.
• Almond Eye gave Anjing Zhen their detailed investigation report after the new week's training meeting.
• As Anjing Zhen read the report, he realized Almond Eye had identified opponents' desperation, doubts, and need for redemption—psychological factors missing from his own analyses.

Anjing Zhen reviewed Almond Eye and Little Bun’s research on several Horse Girls and asked why Almond Eye thought Trainer Senichi affected Yamasho Strong’s condition. Almond Eye explained that trainers could carry communication habits from working with one Horse Girl to another, leaving Anjing Zhen to recognize how that path dependence could affect a new trainee.

• Almond Eye told Anjing Zhen that she had researched and analyzed the notes with Little Bun, who had interviewed Mikki Rocket and Satono Crown.
• Anjing Zhen asked why Almond Eye connected Yamasho Strong’s condition to her trainer, Senichi.
• Almond Eye and the others described Senichi’s history of training Horse Girls with strong, unusual personalities.
• Almond Eye explained that trainers could carry established habits into relationships with new Horse Girls whose personalities required different approaches.
• Anjing Zhen concluded that a trainer’s ingrained communication patterns could impair guidance and affect a Horse Girl’s condition and race performance.

Anjing Zhen reconsidered how a Trainer should understand a Horse Girl’s psychology after Almond Eye analyzed Satono Crown and Harvest Festival’s desire to prove themselves. As Kitasan Black prepared for the Osaka Hai, she privately wondered what feelings she should bring into the race.

• Almond Eye teased Anjing Zhen about applying his own habits to Senior Yamasho Strong, prompting him to reflect on how Trainers influence Horse Girls.
• Anjing Zhen asked Almond Eye for her thoughts on Satono Crown’s possible breakout period, and she suggested that Kitasan Black’s repeated victories over Crown had shaped Crown’s results.
• Almond Eye said Satono Crown and Harvest Festival might be driven by a desire to prove their abilities and win back attention, and Kitasan Black and the others agreed that Horse Girls wanted to become the anticipated number one.
• Anjing Zhen thanked Almond Eye and recognized that understanding opponents’ motivations was as important as analyzing data.
• After the others left, Anjing Zhen messaged Kitasan Black, who said she was wondering what feelings she should carry into the Osaka Hai if Satono Crown was racing to prove herself.

Kitasan Black saw Wanlai Zhengming and Kyoushou off to Dubai, then visited Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen to ask them something. The chapter ended before she revealed her question, as the three shared McQueen’s treasured dessert.

• Kitasan Black organized a farewell gathering at Haneda Airport, where Satono Crown performed magic and gave Wanlai Zhengming and Kyoushou lucky bookmarks before their trip to Dubai.
• Kitasan Black noticed Satono Crown’s desire to be recognized and wondered whether her own feelings about racing were similar, but kept the thoughts to herself.
• After returning to the academy, Kitasan Black delivered documents to the Student Council Office and asked Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen if she could ask them a question.
• Tokai Teio teased Mejiro McQueen about her limited-edition dessert, prompting Mejiro McQueen to unlock the refrigerator and share it with Kitasan Black and Tokai Teio.
• Tokai Teio asked Kitasan Black what she had wanted to ask, but Kitasan Black was still thinking about buying dessert to repay Mejiro McQueen.

Kitasan Black asked Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen which races best represented them and what those races meant. After teasing McQueen about her post-retirement desserts, Teio sparked a playful chase that left Kitasan with a new sense of what dreams and the finish line might mean.

• Kitasan Black asked Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen to name their most meaningful races and describe them in a few words.
• Tokai Teio named the Arima Kinen and called it a miracle, comeback, and display of indomitability, while Mejiro McQueen named the Tenno Sho Spring and its glory, mission, and family legacy.
• Tokai Teio teased Mejiro McQueen about gaining weight from desserts after retirement and pretended to search for embarrassing photos.
• Mejiro McQueen chased Tokai Teio around the Student Council Office until she caught her, only to learn that Teio's phone was on the desk and the photos had long been deleted.
• Tokai Teio apologized to Kitasan Black, who admitted she had enjoyed watching them and reflected on their lives after retirement, gaining a new sense of dreams and the finish line.

Kitasan Black discussed how to define the meaning of her running career, and Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen explained that such summaries often came only after the races. The conversation left Kitasan Black expressing her wish to surpass her seniors, and Tokai Teio urged her to state that ambition with confidence.

• Kitasan Black told Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen that watching Crown and the others prepare for races had made her want to clarify her own reason for running.
• Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen explained that words like “miracle,” “glory,” and “legacy” were often attached to careers only in retrospect, while racers focused on winning.
• Kitasan Black wondered whether she should simply keep running toward her dream of becoming a Hall of Fame Horse Girl.
• Kitasan Black admitted that she had thought about surpassing Mejiro McQueen, Tokai Teio, and many other seniors, but hesitated as she spoke.
• Tokai Teio had Mejiro McQueen make a paper fan, lightly tapped Kitasan Black on the forehead with it, and challenged her to declare her ambition confidently.
• Tokai Teio softened her expression, apologized for being harsh, and set the paper fan aside.

Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen encouraged Kitasan Black to stop worrying about finding a single keyword for her dream and focus on preparing for the Osaka Hai. They revealed that Trainer Anjing Zhen had already been seeking advice for her, and Kitasan Black left determined to train hard.

• Tokai Teio told Kitasan Black that she had never summed up her own dream with a single keyword and could not give Kitasan a direct answer.
• Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen identified Trainer Anjing Zhen as the person most likely to help Kitasan find a fitting answer, explaining that he had already asked them about race mentality and goals.
• Kitasan Black realized Trainer Anjing Zhen had been quietly gathering advice and thinking about her confusion, which moved her deeply.
• Kitasan Black explained that her team was arranging track familiarization and lodging at Hanshin Academy for the Osaka Hai.
• Tokai Teio urged Kitasan Black to focus on training for the newly elevated G1 Osaka Hai, and Kitasan left to prepare.

Tokai Teio regretted harshly scolding Kitasan Black and questioned what guidance she could offer a junior who had tied and surpassed Symboli Rudolph’s record with eight G1 wins. Mejiro McQueen tried to reassure her, but Teio remained uneasy about facing Kitasan Black.

• Kitasan Black left after enthusiastically agreeing to Tokai Teio’s request, and Teio’s smile faded as she read the newspaper.
• Mejiro McQueen saw the Shining front page announcing that Kitasan Black could reach nine G1 wins with the Osaka Hai.
• Tokai Teio asked Mejiro McQueen whether she had been too harsh with Kitasan Black and admitted she blamed herself.
• Mejiro McQueen tried to reassure Tokai Teio that Kitasan Black would not hold her words against her.
• Tokai Teio said Kitasan Black’s eight G1 victories had surpassed her, Mejiro McQueen, and even Symboli Rudolph’s record, leaving her unsure how she could guide her junior.

Tokai Teio confided her worries about Kitasan Black to Mejiro McQueen, then felt relieved after speaking openly. They discussed the pressure surrounding Kitasan Black’s bid for her ninth G1 and came to believe the upcoming Osaka Hai could mark a turning point for her and the wider Horse Girl racing scene.

• Tokai Teio thanked Mejiro McQueen for listening, and the two resumed their usual teasing before McQueen turned to business.
• Mejiro McQueen explained that Kitasan Black’s results had drawn attention from the Board of Directors, major sponsors, and the Mejiro Family’s financial advisers.
• Tokai Teio revealed that Symboli Rudolph had called to emphasize the Osaka Hai’s significance and said she might attend the race in person.
• Mejiro McQueen connected Kitasan Black’s ninth-G1 challenge, the Osaka Hai’s upgrade, and her search for a deeper meaning in running, and proposed that a major turning point was approaching.
• Tokai Teio agreed and explained that she had spoken to Kitasan Black to help her face the stakes with greater resolve, though she admitted she might have acted hastily.

Tokai Teio showed Mejiro McQueen Yasui’s draft plan for Kitasan Black to challenge overseas long-distance G1 races and argued that Yasui had finally resolved to pursue an overseas expedition. She said the Osaka Hai and its surrounding attention would bring pressure Kitasan Black could no longer avoid, while Yasui had begun to recognize and support her feelings.

• Tokai Teio gave Mejiro McQueen Yasui’s draft plan for Kitasan Black’s overseas G1 development.
• Mejiro McQueen realized Yasui intended to take Kitasan Black to compete in overseas races, and Tokai Teio said his plan showed he had made up his mind.
• Tokai Teio explained that Yasui had previously protected Kitasan Black from pressure by managing racing, training, and outside affairs for her.
• Tokai Teio said the Osaka Hai and the attention surrounding Kitasan Black would expose her to pressure that Yasui could not shield her from.
• Mejiro McQueen recognized that Yasui had noticed Kitasan Black’s feelings and begun trying to help her at a crucial moment.

Tokai Teio concluded that the Student Council should focus on the Osaka Hai and watch over Kitasan Black while waiting for Anjing Zhen to uncover the clue to her Dream. Kitasan Black's good mood eased her Running Style training, and she later saw Anjing Zhen discussing possible cooperation with a chamber of commerce representative.

• Tokai Teio told Mejiro McQueen that the Student Council needed to manage the newly elevated G1 Osaka Hai and monitor Kitasan Black's condition.
• Tokai Teio said she trusted Anjing Zhen to find an important answer or clue for Kitasan Black's Dream.
• Kitasan Black felt cheerful throughout the day, and her new Running Style training became less awkward.
• Kitasan Black saw Anjing Zhen escorting a chamber of commerce representative from the team's office after discussing possible follow-up cooperation.
• Anjing Zhen told Kitasan Black that the talks were routine and that someone from her grandfather's trading company was involved.

Anjing Zhen and the team reviewed Kitasan Black’s adaptation to her new running style and Almond Eye’s need for ankle-strengthening training. Kitasan Black asked about the promised “keyword for dreams,” and Anjing Zhen handed her and Almond Eye documents to read.

• Kitasan Black reported that adjusting to her new running style felt slightly better, though fatigue still made her revert to her old rhythm.
• Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet reviewed Kitasan Black’s data, and Anjing Zhen decided to keep her training plan unchanged until the team reached Hanshin Racecourse.
• Anjing Zhen and Agnes Tachyon explained that Almond Eye’s Kasamatsu Carnival data showed weak ankle stability, and Daiwa Scarlet gave her a specialized training and nutrition plan.
• Kitasan Black asked Anjing Zhen whether he had chosen a “keyword for dreams.”
• Anjing Zhen gave Kitasan Black and Almond Eye bound documents and asked them to read them.

Anjing Zhen revealed a five-race overseas campaign for Kitasan Black, culminating in the 4000-meter Cadran Grand Prix, and explained the team’s preparation and race choices. Almond Eye became intrigued by the Mongol Derby and proposed that the team compete in it someday, leaving Kitasan Black surprised by her new nickname.

• Kitasan Black read Anjing Zhen’s draft and realized it laid out her entire season and overseas racing route.
• Anjing Zhen presented the plan, including the Osaka Hai, Tenno Sho Spring, Goodwood Cup, and Irish St Leger Stakes.
• Anjing Zhen revealed that the final race was the 4000-meter Cadran Grand Prix, shocking Almond Eye.
• Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet explained how the Cadran Grand Prix compared with Japan’s longest races and the Mongol Derby.
• Anjing Zhen described the Mongol Derby as a team relay, and Almond Eye excitedly suggested forming a team to enter it in the future.

Anjing Zhen Shen revealed that he wanted Kitasan Black to pursue the world-class long-distance circuit, admitting he had been avoiding the idea of an overseas campaign. Kitasan Black embraced the challenge and declared that becoming a world-class long-distance champion who surpassed every predecessor was the keyword to her dream.

• Almond Eye noticed Kitasan Black staring tensely at the Cadran Grand Prix entry on the whiteboard.
• Anjing Zhen Shen peeled away a white sticker to reveal the words “Dominate the world-class long-distance circuit.”
• Anjing Zhen Shen admitted he had doubted his abilities and avoided committing to an overseas campaign, though he believed Kitasan Black deserved a greater challenge.
• Anjing Zhen Shen said the world-class long-distance circuit was worthy of Kitasan Black’s talent and potential.
• Kitasan Black interrupted Anjing Zhen Shen and declared that becoming a world-class long-distance champion who surpassed every predecessor was the keyword to her dream.

Kitasan Black became consumed by the desire to run the overseas 4,000-meter race and struggled to sleep as she imagined the unfamiliar course. Before dawn, Daiwa Scarlet allowed her a short run along a specified route, and Kitasan headed toward the riverbank, where rhythmic thumps awaited her.

• Kitasan Black repeatedly watched overseas long-distance races and grew certain that she wanted to run 4,000 meters.
• Before dawn, Kitasan slipped out of bed to run but found the dormitory doors locked.
• Daiwa Scarlet caught Kitasan by the entrance and agreed to let her run briefly under two conditions: she had to avoid overexertion and follow a set route.
• Daiwa Scarlet sent a message after Kitasan left and returned to the dormitory.
• Kitasan ran toward the riverbank and heard rhythmic thumps coming through the mist.

Kitasan Black found Gold Ship training by the river and suspected Yamato had sent her there to seek advice about her unexplained feelings toward Anjing Zhen’s campaign. After learning Kitasan was preparing for the Cadran Grand Prix, Gold Ship improvised a 4,000-meter race and set off with her.

• Kitasan Black came upon Gold Ship pounding a stake with a wooden mallet beside the river and asked about her training for the Dream Cup.
• Kitasan Black wondered whether Yamato had arranged for her to meet Gold Ship so she could ask about the powerful resonance she had felt toward Anjing Zhen’s campaign.
• Kitasan Black invited Gold Ship to race with her while she prepared for the Osaka Hai and an overseas expedition.
• Gold Ship panicked at the thought of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, then relaxed when Kitasan clarified that she would race in the Cadran Grand Prix.
• Gold Ship threw her mallet into the river, estimated a 4,000-meter route, and launched into a race with Kitasan Black.

After a four-thousand-meter run with Gold Ship, Kitasan Black clarified her dream of becoming the World-Class Long-Distance Overlord and gained a newfound sense of purpose. Anjing Zhen resolved to help her win the Osaka Hai as the team departed for Osaka.

• Kitasan Black and Gold Ship ran four thousand meters along the riverbank and stopped near their starting point.
• Gold Ship showed Kitasan Black a Rubik’s Cube and spoke about how others tried to fit her into labels and purposes.
• Kitasan Black declared that becoming the World-Class Long-Distance Overlord was not only her dream but an expression of who she was.
• Kitasan Black returned to training with newfound resolve, and her teammates and Anjing Zhen noticed her changed demeanor.
• Anjing Zhen resolved to help Kitasan Black win the Osaka Hai decisively.
• The Central Treisen Academy convoy carried the team and their equipment to the academy near Hanshin Racecourse.

Anjing Zhen brought Kitasan Black to Hanshin Academy to adapt to the Osaka Hai course and sought a powerful training catalyst for her preparation. Tamamo Cross and Senior Oguri Cap arrived to help, but their visit ended with stories about Gold Ship’s okonomiyaki stall and Oguri’s unusual definition of dieting.

• Kitasan Black trained on Hanshin’s turf, reported its noticeable final-slope incline and strong grip, and received feedback from Anjing Zhen, Agnes Tachyon, and Daiwa Scarlet.
• Anjing Zhen decided that Kitasan needed a stronger catalyst than ordinary adaptation training and invited Tamamo Cross and Senior Oguri Cap to assist.
• Tamamo Cross and Senior Oguri Cap arrived after being delayed by an okonomiyaki stall near the academy entrance, where Oguri bought a large serving.
• Daiwa Scarlet recognized the stall’s packaging and suspected that A-Fun had set up the stall despite the rules.
• Tamamo Cross explained that Supernatural Steed had spotted A-Fun and chased her as she fled with the stall.
• Senior Oguri Cap praised Gold Ship’s food and said she had bought it while dieting, prompting Tamamo Cross to object that the gap between meals did not count as dieting.