That day, Kitasan Black found her training unusually strange.
It began with the usual vertical wall running. The three heights she knew best—1.9 meters, 1.5 meters, and 2.4 meters—were second nature to her now. She could judge her position perfectly even with her eyes closed, running the exact horizontal distance Yasui had set without falling off anymore.
But this time, while practicing at the 2.4-meter height, the familiar wall suddenly felt endless. Her stamina seemed limitless too. Since Yasui hadn't called for her to stop, she kept running along the boundless wall without pause.
At some point, the wall transformed into a racecourse. Lush green turf stretched out endlessly beneath her hooves. Guardrails and spectator stands had appeared on either side without her noticing—she was now at the Tokyo Racecourse.
Cheers and shouts erupted around her. The commentator's excited voice echoed across the track.
"After rounding the bend comes the final straight—with no turning back! The Japanese Derby's straight is long, and a decisive showdown is about to unfold!"
Suddenly, the thunder of pursuing hooves rose from behind her. Every stride was full of power, every impact on the turf resonating with her heartbeat. One set of hooves in particular matched her own rhythm perfectly—familiar, yet strangely distant.
Before she could identify them, the commentator's voice rose sharply.
"Entering the straight… Tokai Teio is sprinting!
Tokai Teio is coming up fast!
Tokai Teio is making her move on the outside!
Only four hundred meters left! Tokai Teio is charging forward!
The other Uma Musume are accelerating too, but… Tokai Teio has passed them all!"
Her hooves struck the turf with light, graceful steps. Her figure danced across the grass as she overtook one rival after another. The turf flew up behind her, revealing the dark soil beneath, and a gust carrying grass clippings and dirt swept forward.
From the side, she looked like a blade slicing through silk—cutting straight through the air toward the finish line hundreds of meters away.
Kitasan Black finally understood. Somehow, she had been transported into the Japanese Derby she had once watched with her own eyes.
The last time she saw this race, she had been in the stands, so thrilled that she leaned over the guardrail, ignoring the safety warnings.
Now, inexplicably, she was running right alongside her idol from that day.
Without thinking, she reached out toward the figure ahead, pushing her legs with everything she had. She opened her mouth to shout her idol's name, but no sound came out.
As if sensing the passion in her heart, the commentator cried out the name for her, voice hoarse with excitement.
"Tokai Teio has passed them! Three lengths… four lengths!!
The disadvantage of the outside post is nothing to her! Tokai Teio has broken through!
Two hundred meters left… one hundred! Tokai Teio is in the lead! Tokai Teio is running alone!
Fifty meters! The glory of the Japanese Derby is within reach!
She crosses the line!
Tokai Teio… has achieved her second crown!
A complete display of overwhelming power. Tokai Teio wins the Japanese Derby!
Following in her footsteps, another undefeated double-crown Uma Musume is born!!"
In that instant, watching the slender, petite figure beyond the finish line—her scarlet cape fluttering in the wind as she smiled and raised two fingers to the roaring crowd—Kitasan Black felt fireworks explode in her chest. Pure, uncontrollable joy.
She did it! She won!
Did you see that, Dia-chan?! Tokai Teio won!
An undefeated double-crown Uma Musume… Senpai did it!!
Then I… Huh?
Wait… why did I suddenly end up here…?
For a moment, the excitement faded, and she heard someone calling her name.
"…Kita-chan? Are you… are you okay? Were you having a nightmare…?"
Nightmare…?
Another moment of disorientation, and a soft, yielding sensation spread through her body. Kitasan Black realized she must have been dreaming.
She opened her eyes to a dizzying sight. The desk, the bed across from her, the doll on the pillow, the bright red lantern light beside her…
This was her familiar dormitory room.
But the ceiling and floor were reversed—the furniture hung upside down from above. Satono Diamond, in her pajamas with an eye mask pushed up on her forehead, was also hanging upside down, tilting her head with a worried look.
"I… Huh? Why am I on the floor?"
After a moment of confusion, Kitasan Black realized that although she had gone to bed properly, most of her body had somehow ended up on the floor.
Seeing her awake, Satono Diamond hurried over and helped her up.
"You… seemed to be having a nightmare? I was asleep, but then I heard a huge commotion from your side. You were shouting 'Tokai Teio senpai' or something…"
"Oh, I see… That explains it."
Kitasan Black stood up, scratching her head awkwardly.
"I was dreaming, but it wasn't a nightmare.
Listen, Dia-chan, it was such a fun dream!
I don't know how, but I was training—running on the wall, you know? Then suddenly, I was in the Japanese Derby.
It was Tokai Teio senpai's Japanese Derby!
I ended up running alongside senpai, and she was so fast—she just charged ahead and won the championship.
I was so happy for her… and then I heard you calling me and woke up."
As Kitasan Black excitedly recounted the dream, Satono Diamond pieced it together.
Seeing her friend's bedding and pillow in disarray, she smiled and started tidying up.
"So that's what happened. No wonder you kicked the blanket off like that…"
Kitasan Black scratched her head again. Noticing the doll that had been by her pillow now lying askew at the foot of the bed, she quickly picked it up and helped Satono Diamond straighten the bed.
Once everything was neat again, Satono Diamond looked at Kitasan Black, who was about to climb back into bed, and spoke thoughtfully.
"But… it's only natural that you would have a dream like that, Kita-chan."
"Only natural…?" Kitasan Black paused.
Satono Diamond smiled encouragingly.
"After all, in just two days, you'll be running in the race you've been dreaming of—the Japanese Derby.
You've been training so hard every day for this, and Tokai Teio senpai has always been your idol. It's completely normal to have a dream like that.
I think it's a case of 'what you think about during the day, you dream about at night.'"
"'What you think about during the day, you dream about at night,' huh…"
Kitasan Black murmured the words, her movement freezing for a second.
Then her eyes sharpened. She grabbed the phone she had left on the desk before bed and checked the time.
"Alright! It's decided! It's almost time to get up anyway, so I'm not going back to sleep!"
She scrambled out of bed. Under Satono Diamond's surprised gaze, she quickly changed out of her pajamas.
"Good morning, Dia-chan! I'm heading out to train!"