Back to the present time—local police station, Second Interrogation Room.
When Mizuno Sora heard that the Uma who came to bail him out was actually Symboli Rudolf, he froze for a moment. Then his brain caught up, both legs went weak, and thud—he toppled straight off the chair onto the floor, eyes filled with sheer terror.
"Gwah! I don't want to see her!"
At this moment, Mizuno was like a frightened little dog, curling up in fear and rolling wildly across the floor, mumbling as he went:
"Symboli Rudolf coming to bail me out—no way, I don't want that!"
"If it's found out that I was the one who did it, my trainer career is over, isn't it?!"
"Duck egg! Touch! Duck egg! Oyster! Touch! Oyster!"
The two policewoman officers had no idea why Mizuno suddenly turned out like this, and hurried forward to check.
"What's wrong? Please calm down!"
They tried to soothe his agitation, but no matter what they said, Mizuno remained in a state of extreme panic.
"Humhumhum—aaaahhhh!"
He really was scared. This situation was completely outside his expectations, throwing him into a dangerous corner where no solution could be found!
Why was the Uma here to bail him out not Gold Ship, but Symboli Rudolf?!
Whether or not Symboli Rudolf knew the truth beforehand, the moment she saw Mizuno here—plus the explanation from the police—she would definitely find out he had been secretly helping her!
And now Mizuno was locked inside this interrogation room. Nowhere to hide! No way to run! He had absolutely no idea what to do next!
Wasn't the supposed "danger" of helping Symboli Rudolf that he might get revenge from Tobu Makoto?
Why was it not Tobu Makoto's revenge that came, but a certain Uma whose affection for him would no doubt skyrocket?!
[Fortune]:I never said the danger you'd fall into was getting revenge from Tobu Makoto… let's just say being targeted by bad guys is no real threat to you. But being targeted by an Uma—now that's…
[Mizuno]:Humhumhum—aaaahhhh!
Even if Symboli Rudolf discovering his secret help wouldn't necessarily drag him into the Emperor route, Mizuno always assumed the worst.
What if—and he was really saying what if —
If Symboli Rudolf, like Tokai Teio, had already for some unknown reason had rather high favorability toward Mizuno… and now, after this, that favorability just happened to cross the line… how exactly was he supposed to handle that?
"I'm finished!" Just imagining he might have accidentally provoked yet another Uma he absolutely shouldn't, Mizuno's rolling on the floor sped up even faster.
"Mister, don't be afraid. Please rest assured, we're police, we'll protect you. If you have any requests, we'll do our best to meet them." Policewoman A comforted him.
"Really?" Seeing maybe there was a way out, Mizuno paused his rolling for a moment, lifted his head hopefully, and asked, "Then can you let me go home right now?"
Policewoman A thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"No."
"Humhumhum—aaaaaaahhhh!" Mizuno fell back into despair, thrashing on the ground again.
Just as the two policewomen were struggling over how to calm him down, the interrogation room door suddenly opened. A policeman entered, leading in a nationally beloved Uma idol everyone recognized.
"Rudolf-san, this is the room."
"Thank you."
Symboli Rudolf—had come for Mizuno.
"Trainer Mizuno?" The moment she stepped through the door, Rudolf's eyes landed on the rolling, delirious Mizuno.
Seeing him collapsed on the cold floor like this, for some reason Rudolf felt a deep pang in her chest.
Clearly before, even when Trainer Mizuno was being cornered by two veteran trainers, she could still pressure him without hesitation, using the opportunity to demand he become Teio's trainer.
But now, just seeing Trainer Mizuno rolling on the freezing floor, her heart was so heavy—she only wanted to hold him up, give him warmth and reassurance…
When exactly had Trainer Mizuno come to mean this much to her…?
"Trainer Mizuno…" Rudolf immediately knelt by his side, crouching down with worried urgency:
"Trainer Mizuno! Are you alright?!"
The moment he heard that familiar voice, Mizuno froze. All movement stopped. No more shouting, no more rolling. He lay face-down, utterly still—silent as the grave.
"Eh? He calmed down?" The two policewomen blinked in surprise.
All their effort had done nothing, and yet Symboli Rudolf had only approached and suddenly he was quiet.
As expected of the strongest Emperor—the sense of safety she brought could never be matched by ordinary people.
But only Mizuno himself knew the truth: he wasn't calmed, he was so scared his whole body had gone limp!
"Trainer Mizuno, I came to take you back." Rudolf smiled softly and reached to take his wrist, intending to pull him up.
But Mizuno stayed prone, still facing the floor, and muttered:
"No no no, beautiful miss, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Mizuno. We just happen to be dressed alike. We're not the same person. My real name is Ace."
"Is that so?" Policewoman A spoke up at the worst possible time.
"But just earlier during the record you said your name was Mizuno, trainer from Tracen Academy. We even pulled your file based on that information and confirmed it's correct. Are you trying to deny it now?"
Mizuno: "…"
Damn it! The evidence he himself had given earlier to prove he wasn't a pervert had now become solid proof of his identity!
"Sorry, officer. My friend must be badly shaken, that's why he's spouting nonsense. Normally, he's very calm." Rudolf explained gently.
"Mm, likely it's our fault for pressing him too hard earlier, damaging his mental state." Policewoman B also apologized.
"Since the misunderstanding's cleared, I won't trouble you further. I'll take my friend back first." Rudolf slipped her arms around Mizuno's waist, preparing to lift him.
"Alright. If it's Rudolf-san, we can trust you. We'll leave him in your care." Policewoman A said.
"Thank you very much."
Everyone agreed to the decision: "Hand the currently unstable Mizuno over to Symboli Rudolf for care."
Of course—except for one person.
"No! I don't have a mental breakdown! Officer! Police! Sir! Save me!" In despair, Mizuno pleaded for rescue.
But his cries were unanimously dismissed as "delusional babbling from a mentally unstable man" and completely ignored.
Then, with ease, Symboli Rudolf scooped Mizuno up, slinging him over her shoulder like a farmer hefting a sack of freshly harvested grain, a happy smile on her face.
"Come, Trainer Mizuno. Come home with me."
"Yamerooo!"
Utterly powerless to resist, Mizuno was hauled straight out of the interrogation room by Symboli Rudolf.