After the incident, the newcomers continued their chatter, Mizuno still maintaining his role as an invisible bystander. They waited for about fifteen minutes until all the new trainers had arrived, after which Hayakawa Tazuna raised her small flag and guided the group into the academy.
As she led them along, Tazuna explained enthusiastically:
"This building houses classrooms specifically for Uma Musume. We strongly advise male trainers against visiting alone."
"Over there is the dining hall, primarily used by Uma Musume. Trainers may dine there as well—but again, male trainers shouldn't go alone."
"There's the training ground, where Uma Musume practice racing. Male trainers should only bring their assigned Uma Musume here if other trainers are already present."
"And over there is the dormitory for Uma Musume, next to the female trainers' dormitory. Male trainers are strictly forbidden from entering. If you violate this rule, the consequences will be your own responsibility."
"..." Mizuno broke into a cold sweat.
Is there nowhere in this academy safe for male trainers to visit alone?
One of the new trainers raised his hand to ask, "Where are the male trainers' dorms, then?"
"To prevent accidents," Tazuna replied calmly, "male trainers' dormitories are built a fair distance away from Tracen. You'll need to take a special campus bus to reach them."
Mizuno: "..."
The 'accidents' she mentioned wouldn't happen to involve Uma Musume raiding the dormitories at night, would they...?
"This way, please." Tazuna continued the tour.
Along the way, the newcomers encountered numerous beautiful Uma Musume, lively and playful, brimming with youthful energy. Their interactions painted Tracen Academy in an idyllic, inviting light.
Occasionally, veteran trainers appeared, warmly greeting the newcomers and passionately extolling the benefits of joining Tracen—though it would've been more convincing if their faces weren't tinged with faintly malicious amusement.
"Ohh~" The new trainers marveled aloud at the beautiful campus and seemingly harmonious relationships.
But beyond this cheerful scene, Mizuno noticed something deeper.
"Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two..." Mizuno silently tallied the injury rate among these veteran trainers.
About 50% of male trainers were in wheelchairs; another 25% relied on crutches—almost all suffering injuries below the waist.
Among female trainers, upper-body injuries were more common: around 70% had bandages or ointment patches on their faces, and another 20% had their arms wrapped in bandages.
And these were just the trainers out in public; who knew how many others were currently locked in basements, impossible to count…
Things are even worse than I thought...
Mizuno had expected trainers harmed by Uma Musume to be a minority, but the casualty rate was alarmingly high. Was this a school or a battlefield?
Just as he continued his grim count, his attention was drawn by a petite Uma Musume approaching cheerfully.
"Hachimi~ Hachimi~ Hachimi~ If you drink honey special~♪" she sang brightly, moving toward the group.
Wearing the Tracen Academy uniform, her small stature made her look more like a middle schooler than a high school student. With springy steps, bouncing energetically as if her shoes had hidden springs, she carried a cup of her beloved honey drink, happily passing right beside Mizuno.
Thanks to the Doctor's Outfit, Mizuno should've been invisible to her unless he actively spoke.
Yet, horrifyingly, the cheerful girl seemed to sense his gaze. Without hesitation or embarrassment, she spun around and struck a playful victory pose directly toward Mizuno.
"Yeah~!"
"...Hiss!" Mizuno sucked in a breath and stumbled backward in panic.
He recognized this Uma Musume—far too well, in fact.
Tokai Teio, the protagonist of the second season of the Uma Musume anime.
A bright, kind-hearted girl who loved helping others, obsessed with her extra-rich honey drinks, and had a physique that allowed her to eat endlessly without gaining weight.
She was gifted with extraordinary natural talent. Her flexible knees gave her exceptional jumping power, allowing her to run faster using less energy. Known for her unique [Teio Step], she was truly a once-in-a-generation genius.
Her dream was to follow in the footsteps of her idol, the Emperor Symboli Rudolf, becoming an undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume.
Yet, among the three factors of strength, talent, and luck—Tokai Teio severely lacked luck.
After winning her second crown, the Tokyo Derby, she suffered a fracture, forcing her to miss the Kikuka-sho, ending her dream of an undefeated Triple Crown. Adjusting her goal to remaining undefeated, she entered the Tenno Sho (Spring)—but was defeated by Mejiro McQueen, shattering her unbeaten record and causing yet another injury, plunging her into despair.
She eventually regained her spirit, setting a new goal with support from her friends—but fractured herself once again during training, learning she might never recover to her previous form. She fell into deep despair again.
In the end, motivated by her friends and fans, and determined to prove miracles existed, she courageously entered the prestigious Arima Kinen race. Miraculously, she won, setting the record for the longest recovery period to a G1 victory—her rebirth nothing short of legendary.
Thus, the undefeated genius faded away, and the unyielding Emperor was born.
In a normal Uma Musume world, Mizuno would've eagerly offered to become Tokai Teio's trainer, determined to fulfill her dream of an undefeated Triple Crown.
However, this wasn't that world. This was the cursed universe of strange fanfictions.
And here, Tokai Teio was one of the deadliest existences—the legendary "Dun-dun-doong" girl herself.
If you became Tokai Teio's trainer, no matter what you did—pamper her, encourage her, or neglect her—the result was always the same: she would drag you, overwhelmed by possessiveness, into a basement. The infamous "Teio's Basement" trope was named specifically after her.
If Mejiro McQueen was also in your team, your fate would come even sooner—though alternatively, you might just end up in an even fancier basement owned by the wealthy Mejiro heiress.
Therefore, as Mizuno spotted Tokai Teio approaching now, only one thought flashed through his mind:
Run!