Eighteen floors underground, in the last of Gold Ship's trial rooms, Tokai Teio was sitting at a table, carefully sewing a little Mizuno-in-black-hooded-robe plush with needle and thread. With the final stitch, she finished the last part of this test.
"Whew…"
Tokai Teio wiped sweat from her brow, looked at the plush in her hands—almost identical to the reference one beside it—and smiled in satisfaction.
If the early trials had tested the Uma Musume's abilities to protect Mizuno, these later rounds were all "bridal training" for spending a lifetime with him:
Cooking, cleaning, ironing, managing household finances, infant care, and so on…
For most girls, these trials were incredibly tough—honestly a bit much. In modern times, aside from a few who seemed born to be mothers, what middle schooler had done "bridal training" before, without even having a boyfriend? Wasn't this just making things hard for them on purpose?
But for Tokai Teio, it was no problem at all.
Even though she, like most, had never practiced bridal training, the school had taught some basics—cooking class, cleaning duties, that sort of thing. Plus, Teio had watched some TV shows about how to be a good wife, so she could extrapolate, learn on the spot, and pass every challenge Gold Ship set—perfectly.
Well, "perfectly" was Teio's own assessment.
After the seventh trial, Gold Ship had disappeared—something urgent must've come up, because she gave no further guidance. Teio was left to finish the remaining tests on her own.
Fortunately, each of the remaining rooms had a bulletin board with instructions for the trial, plus a sample answer on the side, so contestants could compare after finishing—like a teacher too busy to mark homework, so students graded their own.
Whether Teio's answers would truly satisfy Gold Ship didn't matter to her. She was happy, and all her self-grades came out as [Perfect].
In truth, Teio's performance matched her instincts. Maybe not actually perfect, but mostly [Excellent], with a few [Good]—not a single fail!
Of course, Teio could've ignored these trials and just rushed straight for the next floor, but as a genius, she couldn't be bothered to cut corners. She chose to honestly face every challenge.
Her purpose today wasn't just to rescue Mizuno—it was to prove that the one most qualified to be at Mizuno's side was Tokai Teio herself!
And so, she cleared every stage, sprinting from the sixth underground floor to the eighteenth—the very last one—in just an hour.
"Another [Perfect]~"
Teio compared her plush with Gold Ship's—no real difference—nodded in satisfaction, and tucked both into her pocket.
Anything about the one I care for, it all belongs to me…
"Eh? This is the final stage already?"
She looked at the door to the next floor, which read, [Congratulations! You have cleared all stages], and felt both excitement and a touch of emptiness.
Teio looked back—no one behind her. After eighteen trials, she was the only one who'd made it to the last door.
Most of her peers had fallen in the very first or second challenge, and her last comrade, Rice Shower, had disappeared into the maze on the third underground floor, never catching up. She'd probably been eliminated in one of the earlier stages.
As expected—the one to claim first place would always be Tokai Teio!
"Trainer~ I'm here to get you~"
Full of anticipation, Teio flung open the final door, took two bold steps forward, thrust out her chest, and, with an imaginary red cape fluttering behind, struck her coolest "hero arrives" pose—like a classic storybook champion.
Heh~
She was already imagining Mizuno's reaction—how he'd fall for her dashing presence at first sight, and then promise to stay by her side for life!
But just as Teio tensed up, bracing for a final showdown with Gold Ship, she realized the scene before her was nothing like the dim dungeon, lined with chains and punishment tools, that she'd pictured.
It was just… white.
The so-called final room was an unfinished, empty shell. No "prince waiting to be rescued," no evil "boss," not even any furniture or facilities—just floating dust in the air. An utterly empty space.
"Where is everyone?"
Teio stared at the empty "final room," and her emotions began to crumble.
"Trainer? Where's my Trainer?!"
She frantically searched every corner, hunting for a hidden door—maybe there was a secret passage leading to the real Mizuno.
She refused to believe it—she'd fought through eighteen challenges just to get here, and all she got was an empty room?!
"There must be a hidden path!"
Teio insisted, inspecting every wall, even checking the ceiling.
But no matter how she searched, she would never find a secret exit. When Gold Ship built this basement, she'd never intended to hand Mizuno over—there was no "if you clear the trials, you get to take him away and live happily ever after" fairytale.
This empty room was Gold Ship's way of mocking Uma Musume like Teio, who thought their own strength alone could win them everything.
Teio always believed that with enough talent and hard work, she could claim first place and earn the corresponding reward. But competition is cruel—no matter how outstanding you are, you might not win in the end.
Especially when it comes to love—there are no fair rules, and rivals will do whatever it takes. Take your eyes off him for a second, and he could disappear from your world forever…
Just like Teio now. Even after outstripping every other girl, clearing every challenge, proving herself worthy, she couldn't see Mizuno—not even once.
"How could this happen…"
Teio stared blankly into the empty room, her gaze hollowing out. She hugged her arms to herself and slumped in the doorway, lost.
In that moment, something subtle changed in the way she looked at the one she loved…