On the surface, who knew how many meters above Gold Ship's underground base, a group of young Uma Musume in Tracen Academy uniforms were clustered around a patch of turf, its color just a shade off from the surrounding grass, clutching nervously at their bow ties.
Today, with the exception of Haru Urara—left behind because everyone was afraid she was too impressionable and might pick up bad habits—all the Uma Musume who had ever shared a bed with Mizuno were present.
At the head of the group, Student Council President Symboli Rudolf crouched down, stuck her fingers into the ground, and peeled away the fake turf, exposing a shiny new reddish-brown alloy security door.
"Just as I thought…" Rudolf frowned, casually tossing the turf aside, eyes sizing up the alloy door meant to keep outsiders out.
From her experience handling all kinds of Uma Pyoi incidents over the years, this was definitely a newly built basement specifically for locking someone up—only a few weeks old at most. Rudolf twitched her nose, sniffed for scents, but caught nothing—neither human nor Uma Musume.
If this was just some abandoned lot, having no trace of scent would be normal.
But for something that was clearly a basement entrance? It was a bit too deliberate—hiding things in plain sight.
"Rice Shower, you're sure Trainer Mizuno is in there?" Rudolf turned to the small, dark Uma Musume by her side.
"Mm." Rice Shower nodded, gripping the blue rose sachet in her hand and gazing at the entrance with determination. "I can sense it—Onii-sama sent me a distress signal, and it's coming from here!"
"Very good." Rudolf nodded, satisfied.
She'd been worried they'd gotten the wrong place and wasted precious time, only to rescue Mizuno after he already had kids…
Every time she rescued a trainer locked in a basement by their beloved Uma Musume, it was the same story…
"President, was it really Gold Ship who kidnapped Trainer Mizuno?" Mejiro McQueen asked from behind, her worry clear.
Knowing Gold Ship's usual antics and the way she always acted like sworn brothers with Mizuno, it just didn't seem like her to pull a kidnapping.
If even someone as abstract as Gold Ship could throw someone in a basement, then any of them might do the same one day...
Rudolf glanced at Mejiro McQueen, then looked away and calmly explained:
"We still can't be certain exactly who kidnapped Trainer Mizuno, but right now the prime suspect is Gold Ship…"
"Whether or not it's really her, you should be prepared for the possibility that the culprit is your own friend."
Her words plunged the group into silence.
If it was a stranger who'd taken Mizuno, everyone would've gone all out—no mercy, ready to send that bastard flying and rescue their precious Trainer.
But if it was Gold Ship… None of them were sure they could do it.
"President, here." Air Groove walked over, handing out safety helmets with headlamps attached.
Basements were always dark except for the cells. Flashlights were inconvenient—if the culprit had rigged any traps in the hallways, it would be even worse—so these headlamps were best, keeping hands free and heads protected.
"Thanks." Rudolf put on the helmet, ears poking out through special slots—pop!—then gestured for the others to do the same.
The rest followed suit, donning their helmets.
"Okay, let's break through!" Rudolf crossed her arms, eyes focused, face going serious as she stared at the basement door.
It looked like it would need a key, but this kind of thing was no obstacle for Symboli Rudolf.
Bang!
She kicked the door hard, denting at least twenty centimeters of alloy.
Another kick sent the basement door flying, tumbling down the staircase into the darkness below with a metallic crash.
"Whoa—" The younger Uma Musume behind her gawked at the scene.
This was the power of a seven-crown champion—the Emperor. Two kicks to bust down an alloy door? None of them could match that.
"Let's go." Rudolf switched on her headlamp and led the way down the stairs.
Air Groove said nothing, silently following her as vice-president.
"Right." The others exchanged glances, then mustered their courage and followed the two upperclassmen.
The underground space was pitch dark—ten headlamps barely made a dent.
The only sound in the silent tunnel was the thud of shoes on the stairs, echoing, making the girls' hearts beat faster. For many, it was their first time in a basement like this.
They descended about ten meters before finally reaching a flat corridor.
At the bottom, the battered alloy door Rudolf had kicked in lay quietly at the foot of the stairs.
"So deep…" Rudolf frowned. She'd never seen a basement built this far down.
Usually, the depth of a basement reflected how much an Uma Musume cared about her beloved.
Most basements were only two or three meters deep; the really serious ones maybe six or seven...
But this one? Fifteen meters or more!
It was hard for Rudolf to imagine just how obsessed the Uma Musume who'd dug this place was with Mizuno.
"Look!" El Condor Pasa's sharp eyes spotted a faintly glowing door at the end of the hallway.
Compared to the one at the entrance, this door looked even tougher, more high-tech, with a monitor set into its center and a camera above, clearly set up to recognize whether the person at the door was the owner.
With this much care (and expense) in the design, there could be no doubt—if nothing went wrong, Mizuno's cell was behind that door.
"Let's move." Rudolf waved everyone forward.
But as they approached, a red X flashed on the monitor, and from a speaker embedded in the door came a digitally distorted voice, the original barely recognizable:
"Halt! Go no further! I am the ojou-sama of the Mejiro family, Mejiro McQueen. This is private Mejiro territory—leave at once, or I'll use my family's power to have you all thrown in jail!"
The Uma Musume all froze, then turned to look at the real Mejiro McQueen in the group.
"???" McQueen's head was full of question marks.
"I knew it was you, Gold Ship!"