"Halo, are you okay?"
A friend's concerned voice reached her. King Halo shook her head and offered a faint smile.
"It's nothing. Probably just haven't been sleeping well lately."
After her reply, the little group around her launched into a lively discussion about remedies for insomnia—but King Halo, the very subject of their concern, didn't hear a word.
The reason for her distraction wasn't lack of sleep or late nights. It was a dream.
A dream that felt unnervingly real.
In the dream, her life unfolded much as it had in reality, with one major difference: she had a younger sister named Dream Weaver.
Because of this sister, King Halo did all sorts of foolish things she'd never actually do, and experienced emotions far beyond her usual range.
Every time she woke up, she'd find herself calling out Dream Weaver's name—as if she really did have a sister waiting at home.
Dreams tend to fade with time, so at first, King Halo didn't pay it much mind.
That is, until the version of herself in the dream did something irreversible. The guilt and pain that shot through her heart were so intense she wished she could leap into the dream and slap herself.
But she couldn't. King Halo could still go weep before a gravestone—but where in the real world was she supposed to find an Uma Musume named Dream Weaver?
"Halo? I heard melatonin works really well for insomnia. Want to give it a try?"
A friend poked her shoulder, pulling King Halo's attention back from the hazy dream to reality.
She turned her head, about to make small talk, when out of the corner of her eye she spotted a familiar Uma Musume walking hurriedly past in the distance.
--+--
Narita Top Road was wandering across campus somewhat absentmindedly. As class representative, she usually spent lunch breaks in the classroom helping whoever needed it—but lately, she hadn't been in the mood.
The reason was simple: a dream.
A dream that felt like another reality.
In the dream, ever since her debut, Narita Top Road had made a close friend. This friend was blunt, always saying things that made people blush, and loved playing pranks to make others laugh. Her usual straightforwardness made it hard to tell whether she was teasing or just being innocently unaware.
But Narita Top Road liked her anyway—liked her determination, loved how she performed on the track. Once a race began, this Uma Musume shone like a diamond under sunlight, instantly dazzling everyone who saw her.
Even when competing against her, Narita Top Road couldn't help but admire that brilliance.
'If only we could keep racing together forever,' dream-Narita had thought—and little by little, the real Narita Top Road found herself drawn to that radiant light as well.
Then came the tragedy. By the time Narita Top Road reached the finish line of the Satsuki Sho, what she saw was a figure collapsed in the rain.
An indescribable emotion flooded her heart. In the dream, she felt she could have saved her—if only she'd insisted more firmly, if only she'd stopped her from that suicidal training regimen...
If it were possible, she wished she could meet that Uma Musume again. This time, no matter what, Narita Top Road would protect her.
As she walked with her head down, Narita Top Road caught a glimpse of a familiar brown strand of hair drifting past. But lost in regret, she didn't have the energy to say hello.
Admire Vega was much the same.
Lately, she'd been troubled by a dream.
In the dream, from her very first race, Admire Vega had met a rather unique Uma Musume.
She was stubbornly determined to win, even at the cost of destroying herself.
That persistence reminded Admire Vega of her own reflection. And as she got to know her better, she learned that this Uma Musume, named Dream Weaver, had an older sister—which only strengthened the sense of familiarity.
So similar to herself, and with an older sister too—Admire Vega often found herself superimposing Dream Weaver onto the shadow of her own late sister.
In a way, the dream version of Admire Vega had come to see King Halo and Dream Weaver as stand-ins for herself and her sister. The regrets she couldn't resolve in real life—at the very least, she didn't want them to happen to Dream Weaver.
Having done what she could, dream-Admire Vega thought that would be enough. That simply watching them from afar, happy and thriving, would be satisfaction enough.
But fate had other plans. Her efforts couldn't change that sorrowful ending.
When Admire Vega jolted awake from the dream, she even wondered if it was her sister questioning her—asking whether she was doomed to stand by and watch tragedy unfold again and again, unable to do a thing.
But when she looked up at the stars, she didn't feel any trace of negativity.
Maybe it was her sister's way of reminding her.
In the dream, Admire Vega had hesitated, never stepping closer, always watching Dream Weaver from a distance.
If something like that happened again, she wouldn't just stand still.
"Bwahahahahaha!"
A loud, boisterous laugh rang in her ears.
Admire Vega's ears twitched, but she didn't stop walking. As former rivals who'd shared the same track, she was long used to that distinctive laughter.
T.M. Opera O stood proudly at the very center of Tracen, arms crossed, radiating energy. Next to her, Meisho Doto looked puzzled. Why was she so unusually spirited today?
"Did something good happen?"
"I had a dream recently!"
Meisho Doto still looked confused. "Eh? Then... it must have been a good dream, right? Since you're so happy."
"No, to be precise, it was a nightmare. Its ending was nothing short of a Shakespearean tragedy."
Opera's tone was almost melodic, as though sighing over the cruel twists of fate.
"Eh? Ehhh?!"
Meisho Doto, who'd been hoping for a clear answer, was even more lost. Do normal people get happy over nightmares?
As if reading her mind, Opera shot her a confident grin and declared:
"Fate! So-called fate is the unchangeable reality! But if one could learn everything before fate unfolds, one could surely overturn cruel tragedy—like severing the threads of the Three Fates!"
Bombarded by that stream of lofty words, Meisho Doto could only stare blankly as Opera held court.
"I've figured it out! That so-called nightmare was actually a prophecy—a sword of rebellion against fate! And I, holding this sword, shall surely cut down that miserable ending!"
"Why… why are you so sure it's a prophecy?"
Finally grasping a part of that speech, Meisho Doto voiced the question that puzzled her most. Why would anyone treat a nightmare as a prophecy?
"Bwahahahahaha! Dear Doto, still asking such silly questions? What other reason could there be? Of course—"
"It is because I am the Conqueror of the Century's End!"
"A king's intuition is never wrong!"
She laughed heartily, clapping Meisho Doto on the shoulder like a magnanimous ruler amused by a subject.
"Now, follow your king— onward to battle!"
With that, Opera strode off in the direction Admire Vega had taken.
Still utterly confused, Meisho Doto trailed behind. After figuring out where this path led, she arrived at the most logical conclusion.
"Are we going to the cafeteria to eat?"
Opera didn't answer. Her amethyst eyes, turned away from Meisho Doto, glinted with a light too complex to name.
--+--
Uma Musume need plenty of nutrition to support their daily training, so the Tracen cafeteria was always packed during lunch. Amid the chattering crowd, four Uma Musume—who'd previously encountered each other in various ways—unexpectedly all arrived at the cafeteria around the same time.
Surrounded by her group, King Halo got her food and let her mind drift, eating in a mechanical, absent-minded way.
Narita Top Road, who'd been wandering around campus preoccupied, also found herself in front of the cafeteria. With an empty stomach, she got her meal, sat down, and began eating while still lost in thought about the dream.
Admire Vega had already finished her lunch, but she hadn't left. She remained seated, staring into space, lost in her thoughts.
The last to arrive, Opera, didn't even get in line for food. Instead, she stood right in the middle of the cafeteria, head raised, gazing intently at the TV screen hanging overhead.
"Opera? Aren't you going to eat?"
Meisho Doto asked timidly from beside her. Opera had been acting so strangely today—even she, who spent so much time with her, couldn't figure out what was going on.
In response, Opera simply smiled faintly, keeping her eyes on the screen as she murmured:
"It's about to happen!"
About to… what?
Then, the very moment she spoke, the TV screen cut to a race broadcast.
As an academy dedicated to training Uma Musume, it was perfectly normal to have TVs in the cafeteria showing students' races. Everyone was used to it.
"Welcome back, viewers. We're now live at the Niigata Nisai Stakes."
"The competitors are in position. Who will take the crown today?"
"Oh? Number seven—"
"Dream Weaver!"
Upon hearing that name, Narita Top Road, Admire Vega, and King Halo all looked up at once, staring in shock at the screen.
"She's breaking away from the pack—incredible speed! She's left the others behind in an instant! Can number seven, Dream Weaver, maintain this pace all the way to the finish?!"
The commentator's excited narration sounded like it came from another world. Hearing that familiar name on the track again, seeing her right before their eyes—it was like a hammer blow to their hearts, stirring waves of emotion.
Clatter.
King Halo's chopsticks fell to the floor. The noisy cafeteria faded away; even her friends' voices vanished. Her eyes were fixed only on that red figure flying across the screen.
Narita Top Road's mouth hung open, still half-full of food. Despite the comical look, her eyes were already red-rimmed, as if tears might spill over at any moment.
Admire Vega suddenly stood up, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. The nearby Uma Musume turned to look, but she didn't care. Her hands trembled slightly; the emotions leftover from the dream now simmered like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"Long time no see."
"My rival!"
Opera, eyes locked on the screen, grinned and whispered to herself. The image overlapped perfectly with the figure from her dream, sending a familiar thrill through her chest.
"She's running so fast," murmured Meisho Doto, who was still completely in the dark, following Opera's gaze to the screen.
To her eyes, this Dream Weaver didn't seem like she belonged in a race at this level. For the other competitors, having such an opponent in their debut race was just too brutal.
"She's crossed the finish line! Unbelievable! Dream Weaver, number seven, maintained that incredible speed all the way—winning by a devastating margin! Are we witnessing the rise of a new star?!"
On screen, Dream Weaver waved to the crowd, a red ribbon twirling around her hand.
Seeing that, King Halo could no longer hold back her emotions. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to blink—as if afraid it was all an illusion that would vanish the moment she closed them.
A moment later, the broadcast ended and the TV switched back to regular programming. The cafeteria returned to its usual lunchtime bustle, though many were now sneaking glances at the three emotionally charged Uma Musume.
Having calmed down a little, King Halo quietly made a resolution: this time, she would not make the same mistake.
But when she finally tore her eyes from the screen, she noticed the others' looks weren't just directed at her. Why were they staring at Narita Top Road and Admire Vega too?
And why had they also stood up? Connecting this with the world from her dream, a bold guess began to form.
Could it be… I'm not the only one who inherited those memories?
By now, Narita Top Road and Admire Vega had also locked eyes with each other. Though the cafeteria was loud and crowded, a strange silence hung between the three of them.
"So you came to the cafeteria just to watch that race? How did you know it was on?"
Unnoticed by the three, Meisho Doto asked Opera curiously.
Opera, who was smiling faintly at the silent standoff, answered offhandedly:
"I did my research, of course!"
Utterly self-assured, Opera refused to believe her dream was meaningless. Unlike the other three, still tangled in dreams and reality, she had started investigating the moment she sensed something unusual about those memories.
Just yesterday, she had confirmed every bit of information she could find about Dream Weaver. That was why she was in such high spirits today.
Unable to get tickets to the race in time, Opera had simply dragged Meisho Doto to the cafeteria to witness her rival's return on screen.
What she hadn't expected was to stumble upon this scene.
"Things are getting interesting," she murmured.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.