Uma Musume Pretty Derby: To The Basement

Because of the System's inexplicable sinister laugh, Mizuno Sora had a horrible nightmare that night.

He dreamt he was chained up, trapped in a gloomy basement, unable to move a muscle.

In front of Mizuno sat Symboli Rudolf, leisurely watching him, seemingly considering how best to break him.

Mizuno gritted his teeth. "Ugh... Just kill me! Stop wasting your time!"

Rudolf gave a faint, amused smile. "You're quite the tough trainer, aren't you? Let's begin your little program, shall we?"

He snapped his fingers. Instantly, loud music blared out—a very old song by a group called Village People.

At that very moment, four figures emerged from behind Rudolf.

Mizuno squinted to see more clearly.

Dear god! It was four Tokai Teios, each dressed in a different outfit—school uniform, stage costume, Beyond the Horizon, and Make Debut! All four had twisted smiles and eyes glistening with sickly affection, slowly advancing toward him. Mizuno knew immediately these were top-tier yanderes!

"I know you're terrified of Uma Musume, Trainer, so I've brought you the scariest one of all—Tokai Teio! And not just one, but four!"

"I've even given them a special nickname, the 'Teio Quartet.' They'll surely bring you endless 'joy.' Don't underestimate them; they're among the most notorious yanderes around!"

"Each one has her unique charm and special skill, with stamina and speed that'll stun the crowd. Their secret weapons will give you a delightful surprise~"

Facing these four Tokai Teios was, to Mizuno, more terrifying than facing a billion murderers.

"Dammit, you can't do this...! You can't!" Mizuno cried in despair.

"Why can't I? I'm even going to record this and send billions of copies to every Uma Musume in Tracen Academy."

"Go!" At Rudolf's command, the four Tokai Teios rushed toward Mizuno, shredding his clothes to pieces.

"Oh, Darling~ Look! Your body is covered in such toned muscles~"

Sniff sniff~

"Such a strong, powerful scent~!"

"Hehe, I want a hot dog now~"

"NOOOOOOO—!" Mizuno screamed in agony.

"System! Save me!"

But the System could neither save him nor had any intention of doing so.

[Eh? Host? (utterly merciless)]

And thus, Mizuno was tormented by their dancing for three entire months…

…

"AAAAAAHHHHH—!"

Mizuno bolted upright, panting heavily, eyes wide with terror as he scanned his surroundings. He quickly realized he was still in his trainer dorm, not some dim basement.

He hurriedly turned on the lights, fearing a Tokai Teio might leap from some dark corner at any moment.

Under the reassuring glow, Mizuno's panic gradually subsided.

"So, it was just a dream…"

He gasped, his back drenched with cold sweat.

That nightmare had been too vivid—being relentlessly danced upon by four Tokai Teios left an indelible scar on his fragile heart.

"Phew... thank god it was just a dream…"

Calming himself, Mizuno lay back down.

He figured he'd been overly tense recently. Always cautious, constantly wary of being targeted by Uma Musume, combined with the treacherous System's mischief, he'd begun imagining all sorts of terrible endings, culminating in tonight's nightmare.

Fortunately, reality was far different. Mizuno was careful—if he ever saw Tokai Teio, he'd run away as fast as possible. Being captured and chained in a basement simply wouldn't happen.

Could Teio sneak into his room unnoticed, lying next to him without him realizing?

"Haha, that's impossible."

Mizuno laughed at the absurdity of the thought. Instead of wasting energy imagining such dreadful scenarios, he decided he should just clear his mind and sleep peacefully, preparing himself for tomorrow's training with Urara.

He took a deep breath, easing his nerves, and lay down again.

But just as Mizuno settled back onto the bed, he noticed someone else beside him.

"Good evening, Trainer-san~" Tokai Teio lay next to him, staring intently into his eyes.

Mizuno's heart froze.

"W-why are you here?!"

"Trainer-san, I've always been here, quietly watching you sleep~"

"Always~"

Tokai Teio swiftly pinned Mizuno's wrists, straddling him with an unsettling smile.

"Let's do something pleasant together~"

"NOOOOOOO—!"

...

"AAAAHHHH—!"

Mizuno woke up once more, disoriented and staring at the empty room.

What the hell? A dream within a dream?

Knock, knock, knock—

Someone was knocking at the door. Mizuno checked his phone—it was three o'clock in the morning. Who could possibly be visiting at this hour?

He put on his doctor's coat, carefully approached the door, and peeked out through the peephole.

It turned out to be the dorm caretaker.

Still cautious, Mizuno refused to open the door, pressing against it as he asked nervously:

"Is something the matter?"

"Checking the water meter," replied the old caretaker.

"Checking the water meter at three in the morning?" Mizuno naturally didn't buy that excuse.

He began to suspect a disguised Uma Musume again.

Or worse, was he still trapped inside a nightmare? Maybe opening the door would trigger another Tokai Teio attack.

"I'm going back to sleep. Come check tomorrow." Mizuno decisively rejected the caretaker's suspicious request.

He was confident in the door's sturdiness—tank-proof, like the school bus. As long as he kept it shut, even an Uma Musume couldn't force her way in.

Thus, Mizuno decided to hide like a turtle, resolutely refusing to open the door.

Yet, even without him opening it, the door clicked open.

The caretaker stepped inside, holding a spare key ring.

"Why… didn't you open the door…?" the old caretaker said, eyes glinting dangerously.

"Wha—?"

Before Mizuno could react, the old caretaker lunged forward.

"Stay back!" Mizuno stumbled in fear, mentally bracing himself to be assaulted again.

However, the caretaker completely ignored him, thoroughly searching every corner of the room instead.

"Eh? You're not here to assault me?"

The caretaker rummaged around but seemed disappointed after finding nothing, turning to Mizuno with a puzzled look.

"Are there no Uma Musume hiding here?"

"No," Mizuno replied.

"Then what's your explanation?"

"My name's Mizuno Sora."

"I didn't ask your name! I asked why you were screaming earlier!"

"Oh… I had a nightmare…"

"A nightmare, huh…?" The caretaker nodded knowingly, sympathy entering his gaze.

"I thought an Uma Musume had broken into your room. Still, you should be careful. Your screams scared another trainer into a PTSD episode. He jumped out the window and nearly broke his legs again."

"Luckily, his legs had been replaced with titanium after previous breaks, so he only sprained an ankle this time."

"..." Mizuno was speechless.

"I'm sorry…"

"No need. I understand completely. I've seen many young men like you."

"You must've suffered a lot in the past…"

"..."

What in the world did the veterans go through?!

"Since there are no Uma Musume here, I'll be leaving. Too bad, I was hoping to finally use this."

The caretaker took a handgun out of his pocket.

"???"

Seeing Mizuno's astonished expression, the old man laughed heartily.

"Haha, relax. It's just a tranquilizer gun." He patted Mizuno reassuringly on the shoulder.

"When facing those girls, it's the only thing that works. Can't beat them otherwise."

"..."

"I'll head out now. If you can't sleep, I've got sleeping pills."

"No, thank you." Mizuno politely declined.

"If you ever need help, call me. I might be weak, but I'll do whatever it takes to protect you youngsters!" The caretaker turned to leave, his slender frame radiating trustworthiness.

Simple words, but deeply reassuring.

"Yes!" Mizuno felt deeply moved.

Even in the terrifying world of Tracen Academy, there was still someone dependable like this caretaker, offering Mizuno a safe haven for his weary heart.

Caretaker-san! You are my hero!

If you'd accept, I'd gladly call you father!

"Oh right, one more thing." The caretaker suddenly turned around.

"Please, go ahead," Mizuno responded respectfully.

"Hehe…" An eerie smile spread across the caretaker's face as his form suddenly shifted into the unmistakable figure of Mizuno's destined nightmare.

"Actually, I'm Tokai Teio~!"

"NOOOOOOO—!"