Chapter Summaries

Anjing Zhen outlined a grueling pursuit drill to prepare Kitasan Black for the pressure of a race’s final stretch, and Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap agreed to help. After Kitasan Black completed her exhausting pre-race runs, she took her place ahead of Tamamo Cross for a 600-meter chase.

• Anjing Zhen explained that Kitasan Black would face a full-force pursuit after high-intensity pre-exhaustion runs, and Agnes Tachyon presented data supporting the plan.
• Oguri Cap judged that Kitasan Black’s foundation was strong, and Tamamo Cross agreed to take part in the drill.
• Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet monitored Kitasan Black as she completed consecutive 1,000-meter runs to reach the planned exhaustion threshold.
• Anjing Zhen instructed Kitasan Black to maintain a frontrunner’s pace for 600 meters without letting Tamamo Cross pass, with Tamamo starting 12.5 meters behind her.
• Kitasan Black took her position on the track, fought through her exhaustion, and focused on holding her rhythm.

Kitasan Black lost a simulated sprint to Tamamo Cross while racing in a state of exhaustion, then received advice from Anjing Zhen and praise from Oguri Cap. The group prepared for another training round, with Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross set to pressure Kitasan in the third round.

• Anjing Zhen started the simulated race, and Tamamo Cross overtook the exhausted Kitasan Black to win by nearly two Horse Lengths.
• Tamamo Cross praised Kitasan Black's endurance and advised her to review the training data with Anjing Zhen.
• Oguri Cap remarked on Kitasan Black's quick recovery and called her a monster like herself.
• Oguri Cap said she was ready to train despite having eaten a huge serving of okonomiyaki, which she described as a snack.
• Anjing Zhen instructed Kitasan Black to focus on balance, stride stability, and maintaining her rhythm in the next round.
• Anjing Zhen asked Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross to pressure Kitasan Black during the third round, and Oguri Cap agreed.

Almond Eye watched Kitasan Black train under pressure from Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap, gaining a deeper understanding of the experience and refinement behind the seniors’ strength. After she met Mikki Rocket and Trainer A Tian on her way to restock drinks, A Tian took Rocket to report to the Student Council administrative building while they waited for a suitable time to visit the training group.

• Almond Eye watched Kitasan Black practice a new running style while Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap pursued her, and reflected on how inexperienced she had been at the Kasamatsu Carnival.
• Almond Eye became so absorbed in analyzing the training that she failed to restock the drinks until the others noticed the empty crate.
• Almond Eye ran toward the convenience store and met Mikki Rocket and Trainer A Tian, who had just arrived.
• Trainer A Tian stopped Rocket from visiting Kitasan Black’s training session before she had rested and the group had reached a suitable stopping point.
• Almond Eye hurried into the store, while Trainer A Tian took Mikki Rocket to report to the Student Council administrative building.

Trainer A Tian inferred that Kitasan Black’s training had exceeded expectations, while Mikki Rocket remained happy for her senior despite being an Osaka Hai rival. Back at the training grounds, Anjing Zhen explained to Almond Eye that A Tian was an exceptionally persistent trainer who would not abandon a Horse Girl who still wanted to run.

• Trainer A Tian deduced from Almond Eye’s supply run that Trainer Yasui’s team had increased Kitasan Black’s training intensity beyond its original plan.
• Mikki Rocket celebrated Kitasan Black’s preparation, then remembered that she was also competing in the Osaka Hai and resolved to do her best.
• Almond Eye returned to the training grounds with supplies and told Anjing Zhen about meeting Trainer A Tian and her surprise at his manner.
• Anjing Zhen praised A Tian’s training ability and persistence, explaining that he would stay with a Horse Girl as long as she still wanted to run.
• Almond Eye understood that Anjing Zhen was referring to A Tian’s refusal to terminate a trainer’s relationship with a Horse Girl who had not given up.

At Hanshin Racecourse, Kitasan Black trained to handle intense pressure and refine her stride before the Osaka Hai, with Senior Oguri Cap offering to simulate the difficult running style of Little Bay. Before the special press conference, Kitasan Black steadied herself and prepared to publicly declare her team’s intention to pursue a broader international campaign.

• Almond Eye reflected on Trainer A Tian’s loyalty to his Horse Girls, while Anjing Zhen Shen checked Kitasan Black’s readiness for another training round.
• Senior Oguri Cap recognized that Kitasan Black’s longer-stride technique resembled Little Bay’s running style and described how it helped Little Bay conserve stamina and maintain control.
• Senior Oguri Cap volunteered to chase Kitasan Black using the same approach she used against Little Bay, and Anjing Zhen Shen and Kitasan Black thanked her before they resumed training.
• At the Osaka Hai press conference backstage, Kitasan Black calmed herself and recalled Anjing Zhen Shen’s instructions to announce the team’s expedition plans publicly.

Before the Osaka Hai, Kitasan Black encouraged Mikki Rocket and listened as the competitors declared their intentions. Kitasan Black announced that winning the race would begin her campaign to become ruler of world-class long-distance racing.

• Kitasan Black reassured a tense Mikki Rocket backstage, and Mikki Rocket thanked her and regained her resolve.
• Satono Crown, Mikki Rocket, Harvest Festival, Sunday Silence, Lofty Ambition, and Yamasho Strong each declared their goals onstage.
• Starlight Peak gave a brief statement before leaving the stage.
• Kitasan Black took the stage last and declared that her goal was victory at the Osaka Hai.
• Kitasan Black called the Osaka Hai the starting point of her campaign for the title of ruler of world-class long-distance racing.

After Kitasan Black declared her intention to dominate long-distance races worldwide, she prepared with her team and entered the gates for the first G1 Osaka Hai since its promotion. The race was about to begin, with her rivals and supporters watching from the stands.

• Kitasan Black's overseas-racing declaration ignited the press conference, and Satono Crown, Mikki Rocket, Harvest Festival, and the other racers reacted with admiration and determination.
• Kitasan Black returned backstage, where Anjing Zhen, Agnes Tachyon, Daiwa Scarlet, and Almond Eye quietly helped prepare her for the race.
• Kitasan Black completed her preparations, walked onto the track, exchanged a silent gesture with Anjing Zhen, and entered her assigned starting stall.
• The commentator announced that all fourteen racers were in the gates for the historic 2000-meter Osaka Hai at Hanshin Racecourse.
• Satono Diamond and Chris watched Gates Four and Five while discussing the importance of the opening position, and A Tian focused on Gate One before sensing an unseen pat on his shoulder.

T.M. Opera O joined A Tian to watch the inaugural G1 Osaka Hai, where Kitasan Black and Starlight Peak took the lead from the start. Kitasan Black controlled the early pace and resisted Starlight Peak’s attempts to break free as the race continued.

• T.M. Opera O told A Tian she had returned to watch the historic Osaka Hai and asked how the preparations were going.
• A Tian said he believed in Rocket as the Horse Girls prepared to race.
• The fourteen gates opened, and Starlight Peak and Kitasan Black surged into a neck-and-neck lead.
• Satono Crown followed the leaders while planning to let them expend energy before making her move later in the race.
• Kitasan Black used subtle shifts in position and economical pacing to blunt Starlight Peak’s attempts to pull ahead.

Kitasan Black wore down Starlight Peak in their early duel, forcing her to fall back before settling into an efficient cruising rhythm. As the pursuing pack began to close in, Kitasan Black smoothly raised her pace again and kept control of the race.

• Starlight Peak realized the prolonged side-by-side struggle was draining her stamina, so she eased off and dropped about a horse length behind Kitasan Black.
• Kitasan Black sensed Starlight Peak's retreat and shifted from a rapid, confrontational stride into a longer, more economical cruising rhythm.
• Satono Crown, Sunday Silence, and Harvest Festival assessed their positions as Kitasan Black took the lead and the main pack followed several horse lengths behind.
• Satono Diamond reassured herself that Satono Crown was well positioned, while Chris noticed Kitasan Black's rhythm seemed unusually steady for a Slow Escape.
• Kitasan Black sensed the second pack—including Satono Crown, Sunday Silence, and Yamasho Strong—raising its pace, then smoothly extended her stride to increase speed without an explosive burst.

Kitasan Black maintained a punishingly steady lead through the middle stage, keeping the pursuers around six lengths behind and forcing them to overexert themselves. As the pack approached the Third Turn, Mikki Rocket continued fighting, while A Tian watched her struggle from the stands.

• Kitasan Black held her lead at five to six lengths and continued increasing the pressure as the pursuers failed to close the gap.
• Satono Crown tried adjusting her line and stride, but Kitasan Black's consistent pace left her breathing hard and unable to find an opening.
• Mikki Rocket kept pushing despite burning lungs and heavy legs, determined to give everything she had for Kitasan Black, her Trainer, and the others.
• Harvest Festival resisted the urge to accelerate and decided to wait for the Final Straight, where she expected to compete through her Final Burst.
• Starlight Peak struggled to maintain second place as Kitasan Black remained unaffected by the chase.
• A Tian realized Mikki Rocket and the rest of the pack were overexerting themselves to match Kitasan Black, while T.M. Opera O watched Rocket's effort with sharp attention.

Kitasan Black’s sustained pace broke the field in the Osaka Hai, leaving her far ahead as her pursuers exhausted themselves. She entered the final stretch still holding and slightly increasing her speed, with victory no longer in doubt.

• T.M. Opera O told A Tian that Kitasan Black had effectively decided the race from the start through her exceptional stamina and sustained pace.
• Kitasan Black increased her speed entering the final bend, widening her lead to around eight horse lengths despite Yamasho Strong’s attempt to close the gap.
• Satono Crown, Yamasho Strong, and Harvest Festival launched a desperate sprint on the final straight, briefly reducing the gap before their stamina ran out.
• Mikki Rocket continued running far behind the leaders, thinking of Senior Little Kita and the world Kitasan Black had reached.
• Kitasan Black maintained her peak stride and pushed her speed slightly higher as the exhausted pursuers fell away.

Kitasan Black won the race in 1:57.2, setting a new record and earning her ninth crown. After her team celebrated her victory, Satono Crown accepted her defeat and walked away with renewed Fighting Spirit, leaving Satono Diamond to ask Trainer Chris what would happen next.

• Kitasan Black crossed the finish line with a nine-horse-length lead and set a new record of 1:57.2.
• Kitasan Black confirmed that she had set a new record after seeing her time on the scoreboard.
• Almond Eye, Agnes Tachyon, Daiwa Scarlet, and Anjing Zhen congratulated and cared for Kitasan Black in the tunnel.
• Satono Crown admitted that she had lost completely, then left with her Fighting Spirit rekindled.
• Satono Diamond watched Satono Crown walk away and asked Trainer Chris what would happen next.

After Kitasan Black’s dominant race, Chris urged Satono Diamond to treat the upcoming Tenno Sho Spring as a challenge, while Mikki Rocket and T.M. Opera O helped Trainer A Tian regain his resolve. The defeated racers and their teams reflected on the result as Kitasan Black took the stage at Hanshin Racecourse to sing.

• Chris told Satono Diamond that Kitasan Black had redefined long-distance racing and urged her to prepare without holding anything back for the Tenno Sho Spring.
• Satono Diamond accepted Chris’s assessment and resolved to prepare for the challenge.
• Mikki Rocket told Trainer A Tian she wanted to catch up to Kitasan Black, and T.M. Opera O encouraged both her and A Tian.
• Harvest Festival, Starlight Peak, Sunday Silence, Lofty Ambition, and Yamasho Strong reacted to their defeat and discussed what they needed to improve.
• Kitasan Black stood beneath the lights at Hanshin Racecourse and sang on the central stage.

After Kitasan Black’s record-breaking Osaka Hai victory made her the focus of intense public attention, she followed her recovery routine at the therapy center. When staff and fans crowded her for autographs and photos, Anjing Zhen stepped in to end the gathering so she could rest.

• News outlets celebrated Kitasan Black’s nine-crown championship and record time while debating her future overseas campaign.
• Anjing Zhen kept communications organized as Kitasan Black and the team completed her recovery schedule and reviewed the race.
• A therapy center intern asked Kitasan Black for an autograph, and Kitasan Black gladly signed her notebook.
• More staff gathered to congratulate Kitasan Black and request autographs, photos, and training advice.
• Anjing Zhen noticed Kitasan Black growing tired and asked the crowd to stop so she could rest, and they understood.

After Kitasan Black’s record-setting race, Anjing Zhen helped her escape the crowd and join Almond Eye, Agnes Tachyon, and Daiwa Scarlet for a peaceful picnic. Kitasan Black noticed that her success had left Anjing Zhen buried in invitations, messages, and meetings, though he joked that she could not stop winning just because it made him busier.

• After the well-wishers left, Anjing Zhen gave Kitasan Black a jacket and promised to keep the crowd away so she could rest.
• Kitasan Black thanked Anjing Zhen for protecting her from the attention and said she was happier spending time with him and their friends than winning the race.
• Kitasan Black and Anjing Zhen joined Almond Eye, Agnes Tachyon, and Daiwa Scarlet beneath a cherry blossom tree for tea and a picnic.
• Kitasan Black noticed Anjing Zhen checking messages and working through his tablet, then remarked that he had become busier after her successful races.
• Anjing Zhen explained that he was handling media, business, overseas race, and congratulatory inquiries, and joked that she could not stop winning to spare him the work.

After recovering from her injury, Kitasan Black returned to Tokyo and resumed training while Anjing Zhen guided her and Almond Eye. During a morning run, Kitasan Black declared her ambition to become a world-class long-distance champion, leaving Anjing Zhen captivated by her conviction.

• Anjing Zhen told Kitasan Black to recover and set her sights on the Tenno Sho Spring and racing overseas.
• Kitasan Black returned to Tokyo after rehabilitation and began routine recovery training alongside Almond Eye.
• Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet checked Almond Eye's training data after she completed her running quota.
• Kitasan Black told Anjing Zhen that A-Fun Senpai's strange special training and words had helped her understand the path she wanted.
• Kitasan Black declared herself one of a kind and destined to become a world-class long-distance champion.
• Anjing Zhen admitted he was captivated by the champion's grandeur and charm.

After her Osaka Hai victory, Kitasan Black discussed preparations for the Tenno Sho Spring with Anjing Zhen and returned to an enthusiastic welcome at Central Treisen Academy. She met with the Board of Directors and later caught up with Duramente, who asked whether anything had been troubling her.

• Anjing Zhen told Kitasan Black to focus on recovery and training while he handled the plans and tactics for the Tenno Sho Spring.
• Kitasan Black received excited greetings and autograph requests at school, and reminded herself to stay focused on her upcoming goals.
• Two Board of Directors members politely questioned Kitasan Black about her future plans and influence, leaving her unsure of their intentions.
• Kitasan Black and Duramente raced each other during recovery training and praised each other's condition.
• Duramente revealed she had recovered from a minor injury she kept secret to avoid distracting Kitasan Black before the Osaka Hai.
• Duramente asked Kitasan Black if she had been troubled lately, and Kitasan Black said the attention after her victory was hard to handle.

Duramente and Koushou Hayate each warned Kitasan Black that they had heard something might be wrong, but Kitasan brushed off their concern and challenged them to run with her. She later found nothing unusual around her team, wondered if she was overthinking things, and focused on preparing for the Tenno Sho Spring.

• Duramente told Kitasan Black she had overheard Sister Symboli mention that Kitasan might be facing a situation.
• Koushou Hayate also said she had heard Elder sister mention that something might be going on with Kitasan Black.
• Kitasan Black reassured her friends, then brought up the Tenno Sho Spring and prompted Duramente and Koushou Hayate to agree to race with her.
• Kitasan Black watched her teammates and the people around her for signs of trouble but found nothing unusual.
• Kitasan Black decided she might be overthinking it and returned her attention to training for the Tenno Sho Spring.

After winning the Osaka Hai, Kitasan Black learned that Association members and sponsors were resisting her overseas expedition and suspected Anjing Zhen had been handling the opposition without telling her. She rushed off to confront him, leaving Satono Diamond and Satono Crown behind.

• Mikki Rocket celebrated Kitasan Black's Osaka Hai victory over cake and lemon juice, then told her about the support T.M. Opera O had been giving Rocket's training.
• Rocket mentioned that some Association members and sponsors wanted to stop Kitasan Black from going overseas, startling her.
• Kitasan Black connected Rocket's news with earlier clues and concluded that Anjing Zhen had known about the resistance and faced it without telling her.
• Kitasan Black hurried out to find Anjing Zhen and passed Satono Diamond and Satono Crown, who had come to see her.

Kitasan Black realized that Anjing Zhen and her companions had been hiding their troubles to protect her, and she grew hurt and angry that Anjing Zhen kept trying to shoulder everything alone. Unable to bring herself to confront him directly, she decided to eavesdrop on his conversation at the Team Office.

• Satono Diamond and Satono Crown watched Kitasan Black rush away, and Satono Diamond resolved to give her all on the track despite not knowing what had upset her.
• Kitasan Black sprinted toward the Team Office, realizing that Anjing Zhen, Agnes Tachyon, Daiwa Scarlet, and others had concealed their burdens so she could focus on racing.
• Kitasan Black grew angry that Anjing Zhen had shut her out again despite their promise to face difficulties together.
• Kitasan Black stopped beneath a cherry tree and imagined Anjing Zhen would dismiss her concerns with a reassuring smile if she asked him directly.
• Kitasan Black spotted the roadside bushes, remembered how she and Anjing Zhen had hidden in them during Kasamatsu Carnival, and decided to eavesdrop on his conversation.