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Thanks again for the great feedback, Meteor!

And yes I know the engine origin but it is also Sakuya's choice to use the 3S GTE since it's more adaptable on apex driving compared to her monstrous-tuned 2JZ. But rest assured, it WILL return someday.

Anyway...do excuse my abuse of derp on grammer in this chapter lol.

Code 8: White Bird Part II

Vanessa can sense a hostile air around her. Even though people who are friendly and sociable surrounded her, she still couldn’t shake off that unsettling air from the beyond them. It’s as if something or someone is staring at her intensely, and the feeling is growing gradually.

"Vanessa!” A familiar voice exclaimed the brunette's name, much to her surprise. It was a voice of a mildly irritated female. Vanessa turned around and saw a familiar face that she knows all too well, and at the same time, not someone she could call an acquaintance.

“Oh...I thought you were gone since the last time I beat your friend’s butt at Shoumaru Pass.” Vanessa responded with a slight smirk, confronting her by stepping forward. Aoi and the rest followed from behind, keeping their distance as none of them feel like interrupting those two.

“So what’s the deal, you’re back for more?”

“I don’t know what you’re planning Vanessa, but you best stay out of my way in this time attack event. You will NOT mess this up for me. That last win didn’t prove anything, just so you know. We’re just careless.”

“Yeah, that’s what they all say every time they get beaten. And by the way; about that time attack event, could you mind being bit vaguer in your warning?” Clearly, Vanessa is being sarcastic at this point, since she knew eventually she will have to face Adachi and her team again at some time, fully aware that there is no way their encounter would end with just one victory.

“Make no mistake, our team losing is but a one-time occurrence.”

“Oh, spare me the cliché lines, Adachi.” Vanessa snickered. “Seriously, if this is your plan of stopping me, it’s anything but working. You need to get over the fact that you cocked up that time and stop being so butthurt about it. I mean...you’re serious that you think you can actually stop me by threatening me with such cheap taunts? I think YOU better think again.”

“Hold it, girls.” Ayase interrupted; tired of the attention their squabbling was gaining. “If you two really want to settle your score, why not do it on the Time Attack event instead of wasting everyone’s time here with all this trash-talking?”

“Good call, Ayase.” Vanessa agreed. “I’ll be more than glad to knock you posers out again, if you want it so badly.”

“Don’t push it, kiddo. You don’t know what you’re dealing with here. Time attack’s not a game and you better have what it takes to put up a decent challenge. This time we won’t hold anything back.”

“Keep telling yourself that, jag-off. Any other threats you wish to dish out before things get started?” Vanessa asked.

“...”

“Oh? What happened? You got nothing left? Not even another hollow threat that can’t be backed up?”

“Humph. Do whatever you want, Vanessa. But make no mistake, this time you will fail in this event. We won’t let you do as you please here in our turf. I will protect Saitama’s pride even if it kills me.” Adachi turns around and walk away after she is done talking, Vanessa just shook her head, unfazed by the threat.

“Jeez, what’s the deal with that chick?” Ayase asked, mildly curious.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just some mildly old grudge business I made since I debuted on Shoumaru Pass with my Renault.” Vanessa chuckled. “Still...this just gave me another reason why I should join the time attack event. Since there’ll be no better opportunity for me to settle things with Adachi and her kiss-up members so they’ll stop bothering me.”

“...”

Aoi remained silent until Mayumi noticed that she hasn’t spoke since the confrontation between Adachi and Vanessa took place.

“Mm? What’s the matter, Aoi? Cat got your tongue?”
“...Vanessa.” Aoi called.

“Oh, what is it? Aoi?” Vanessa walked towards the white-haired girl that seemed to have a rather serious look now.

“...would you mind having a friendly run with me across Sadamine pass? Right now.”

The girls were surprised at the sudden request, especially Vanessa, who was caught off guard by this.

“Huh...? Why so sudden, Aoi?” Vanessa asked.

“I just need to see something for myself. Please...if it’s not too much to ask...I’d like to see your strength as a driver with my own eyes.” Aoi requested, her face turning serious. The rest of the girls all watched in slight awe as her straight words contrasted her quiet nature.

“Well....if you insist. Sure, I guess.” Vanessa agreed with a shrug. Aoi let out slight smile on her face after hearing the petite girl’s words. “But eh...what exactly are you trying to find here? You’re not...doubting my skills or anything, are you?”

“No...it’s just that I am curious about something...it’s really nothing personal...don’t worry.” Aoi shook her head gently. “Anyway...since there’s not much people left here doing timed attack runs at the moment...let’s start before the pass gets crowded.”

“Well, I agree, kiddo.” Mayumi turned her eyes on the road leading to the Sadamine pass, as there were still one or two cars left driving about in that area. “The late arrivals are coming in fast. If you two were to do this for real, it better be now, otherwise I don’t think you’ll be able to race without risking a crash on a third party driver until around six or seven PM.”

“So, it’s settled then. We’ll just follow from behind as third parties. I’m interested in your driving too.” Mayumi faced Aoi, much to the girl’s surprise.

“Eh...?”

“Well...I’ve never seen you drive for real before...might be a good time to know you a bit more, Aoi.” Mayumi said. “To be honest, I only know you drive rather smoothly. It’ll be nice if you can actually battle since, well, I think a reserved girl like you also have a knack for driving hard, right?”

“...”

Aoi is unsure as to how to respond to that remark since no one had been really curious about her nature before. But considering the fact that she alone is also curious about something on the new friend that she just known not too long ago, there is no point for her to keep her skills sheltered forever either.

“I do practice sometimes when I am having a bit too much free time...but I guess you’ll have to see for yourself in how well I fare...I hope you’re ready, Vanessa...”

“Anytime you are, Aoi!”

It wasn’t too long after their conversation that both the blue S13 and green R26:R Megane lined up on the starting line of Sadamine pass. As they were preparing for the race, many of the people stopped doing whatever they were on to and went to check on what is going on at the starting point of the peak at the mountain. And the crowd eventually grew big enough to cover a small scale of the parking area entirely behind the two cars that is about to battle against one another.

Meanwhile, the other two cars that were parked on the other side of the road were preparing to wait for the signal too as Mayumi and Ayase were waiting for Aoi and Vanessa to take off first before they joined along as third parties.

“Whoa..what’s going on there...?” A man uttered.

“Looks like a battle is about to start.”

“Wait...isn’t that green hatchback…?”

“...it’s her! The one from Shoumaru! What’s she doing here? Trying to step on more people’s pride?”

“Well, whatever it is, we’re going to see something good today, huh? But the S13 she’s against seems pretty much stock. Pretty unusual to see one at these scenes that’s still untouched.”

“I wonder how this battle’s going to go...?”

As the gallery pondered on what will happen, it seems like no one would be doing any countdowns either as this was never made an official race by anyone. It was entirely personal for the two of those female drivers that are preparing for a friendly face-off.

Aoi is sitting inside her car, idling with her eyes shut, as if she is relaxing spiritually before she gets her head together in the battle that may begin at any moment due to the absence of countdown. Vanessa on the other hand just checked her gauges and made sure everything is A-OK before she takes off.

Vanessa then took a quick glimpse on her new friend inside the blue S13, and apparently she is rather unsettled at how calm and serene Aoi is inside her Nissan, compared to her who is preparing for everything with pre-cautions as usual before she starts. She can even feel an invisible pressure slowly building up around her...

“How will we begin this race...? No one’s bothered to countdown and...I am kinda getting nervous for no reasons whatsoever....sigh.” Vanessa breathed in slowly before she exhales and started her engine.

“...”

Aoi can hear the sound of the Renault’s engine ignition, she complied by starting the engine of her S13 too and revved the car twice by gently tapping on the accelerator pedal.

“I can hear the roar of their engines...guess that’s our cue to follow them soon.” Mayumi thought as she started her Evo VI TME’s car engine. Ayase noticed it to and she did the same thing as they all did.

“All right, everything’s ready and good to go...now then...ready or not, Aoi...here I go!”

As the crowd closes in and see how the race will begin, then all of a sudden, the green Renault Megane blasted off with a full throttle, leaving a trail of tires mark behind on the tarmac as smokes begin gushing out from the burnt rubber, shocking everyone that tries to watch the race begin closer.

Aoi started cool as she stated to step on the gas slowly before going full throttle along after a few seconds of steady acceleration from her S13. Once the two cars zoomed past Ayase and Mayumi, they immediately start flooring their accel pads too, hoping they won’t fall too far behind from watching the race close-by.

“Vanessa’s leading huh...” Mayumi thought, focusing her sight on the front where she can see the Silvia increasing its speed steadily still while the Renault isn’t too far away from her eyes either.

As the race began, Vanessa is seen holding her steering wheel tightly while focusing all her concentration on her feet along with her eyes at front of the road. Even though she has practiced constantly at Sadamine, her rhythm has yet been found due to her lack of experience on this course as well as some uneven tarmac that made it unpredictable for things to go wrong.

Even though Vanessa was unsure as to how much experience gap she has with Aoi whom she believes to be as good as a local presumably, in terms of familiarity of the course, Aoi definitely has the advantage. Knowing this; she takes the chance to try and push the Megane as hard as she can to try and keep some distance so that even in later half of the race when she screws up, the gap won’t decrease that much to be overtaken by ease. It was a strategy of precaution that was doomed to backfire, but it’s not like she has much choice either since she cannot comprehend the exact motive of her friendly rival.

As all four cars continued to drive towards the few wide curves of the beginning of the checkpoint, Vanessa tried to minimize her steering range as to not overburden her tires while navigating through the few wide curves that doesn’t need too much unnecessary out-in-out maneuvers. Aoi followed from behind, now 2 seconds apart from her leading rival car as they were about to tackle the first wide hairpin.

“Here it comes...” Mayumi and Ayase thought from behind, their cars were only a few meters apart from each other as they witnessed on how the racers in front hit the first hairpin curve. Both the green Renault and blue Silvia lit up their braking lights and hugged the curve nicely as both of them decelerate accordingly with consistent steering range. To Aoi, it seems that she is having little to no problem at all in stabilizing the S13 while the Renault Megane still has a little bit of rear-tire slide due to her acceleration pedal control slipped by a minor margin. She accelerated a bit more than needed and she realized it was a minor mistake.

And soon, once they both made it out of the exit, Vanessa noticed that the Silvia behind her is slowly catching back up, even though they are both technically still 2 seconds away from each other. It’s a minor gap reduction, but it’s definitely there, she can feel it...

“Guess I went a bit too hard on that turn after all...in that case...!” Vanessa floored on her accel pedal again, trying to use the FWD’s advantage in acceleration on the straight to its fullest while Aoi’s S13 is recovering its momentum from that tight hairpin.

They continued to dash forward as the pink Chaser with the red Evo followed from behind. Aoi was still calm inside her car, while Vanessa is slowly growing tense with her concentration. Not long after, they reach to another few more curves that lead to another wide hairpin soon. The terrain of this mountain pass was so wide that there are literally countless lines for both Aoi and Vanessa to take in maximizing the car’s cornering force while manipulating their speed rhythm.

Vanessa remained in a good position with her Renault as she is leading ahead by 150 meters from the S13 behind. She tries to take a peek at the rear mirror to check on the rival behind and see how she is doing, and needless to say - Aoi remained glued to her tail even from afar.

“As expected...she’s definitely a local here...in that case...how about this?”

Vanessa stomped on the brakes and steered the wheel over the hairpin and hugged the inner line, followed shortly by the S13 from behind. The gap was instantly shortened to a 100 meter gap due to the speed-loss range of the curve itself. Ayase and Mayumi followed from behind as soon as those two cars came out of the exit and accelerated ahead, it didn’t take them too much effort to catch up, with the power of both cars far surpassing that of Aoi and Vanessa’s machines.

But after this, beyond the exit of that wide hairpin is nothing but straight and very gentle curves that allow the cars to accelerate at very high speed. Vanessa practiced the course enough to know hat her machine along with her senses can allow her to take advantage on this section to try and leave the Silvia behind. Without a second thought, Vanessa floored the gas pedal and navigated the smooth section accordingly while keeping her lining centered for easy switching in between attack or defense position.

Aoi on the other hand simply attacked the section while maintaining her S13’s rhythm on the middle of the road without any unnecessary twitching in the car’s motion. She was in top form in focusing her sights on both the road and the car in front that is slowly being pulled back nearer by a second. Vanessa may have the power advantage, but she has her rhythm down to her hands, allowing her to drive smoothly.

At this point, both cars already going beyond 170 km/h and some of the people watching on the off-road were shocked at how agile the 4 cars were in their downhill journey on the wide but steep mountain road. Both Mayumi and Ayase were

“Whoa...did you see those guys?” A spectator exclaimed in awe.

“Yeah...who are they?! I never seen anyone go that fast before in THIS section...talk about massive guts...”

“From this section onwards, there’ll be another set of two very long straights with a super-wide hairpin...I can only imagine how awe-inspiring it’ll be if all four of them drift together on that one curve...the road is technically wide enough for a truck to go through sideways, if that’s even possible that is...these guys must be the top drivers of this area, God knows whether they’re racing or practicing...”

“The competition here sure has gotten a hell lot tighter lately...ever since D.U’s time attack event is built here...it’s scary...”

As the small crowd of spectators pondered on how the battle will continue, both Vanessa and Aoi are now in their peak level of concentration. Both of them were completely silent at this point as their senses are so sharp they cannot even speak in their mind anymore.

Still leading, the green Renault continued accelerating away at the second checkpoint where there is a long and wide straight road waiting ahead. Without hesitation, Vanessa gripped her steering wheel as tight as she can and bury her right foot deep down with all her strength mustered. The Renault Megane’s speed climbed to a whooping 185 km/h, taking the gallery’s breath away as she shot past.

Aoi on the other hand kept her speed at 180 km/h as her car is slightly weaker compared to the Renault’s power. She is being pushed back slowly, but she is still keeping up a good pace with her friendly rival at the front. As they pulled a strong wheel lock to keep a quick rhythm recovery from that gentle curve of the long straight which will soon lead them to the widest hairpin of the course itself, as the spectators watched in awe as the leading duo battled it out, Ayase and Mayumi simply kept pace with the S13, leaving a slight gap between them.

“Geez, I didn’t realize that kiddo got this much bite in her...”. Clearly she has taken Vanessa’s driving a bit too lightly. “Now I gotta push this thing harder or even this Evo will get left behind by those two...”

“Those two are pulling out some insane speed there....I’ve been driving here long enough for a confident record run but I don’t think I’ll actually push so hard....” The locals, amateur and veterans alike, were left in awe at the pace of the four cars. Some of the crowd was there to catch a glimpse of the mysterious hatchback that has dominated discussions online. Others showed more interest in the S13 that was only a hair behind. It was putting up fight against the Renault on equal terms.
“...Very nice run...those two...”
Ayase, entertained by the display of skill shown by her two friends, increased her speed gently to watch the battle up close.

Feeling the attention of both the crowd and the two racers behind, they immediately step it up a notch to catch on to the escaping cars on the high speed section. They were now 40 meters behind Aoi, so technically they’re not that far apart, but neither of them are going to take the chance in going easy at this point since the race has taken to a new level of speed range here.

“Amazing...Vanessa is able to go that fast...I can hardly keep up at all...” Aoi thought quietly, barely able to speak in her mind with her senses at their peak while she is still driving at the speed of the staggering 180 km/h. Once they reached an extremely wide and long hairpin, Aoi immediately decelerate and braked hard while steering the wheel to initiate a mild angled long drift to tackle the curve.

“This is bad...I can’t really use the grip entirely here since this is still an early section...should I use the record line that I made for now to risk it all and leave her behind?” Vanessa is still having doubts in her current record line since it’s still far from perfect but it’s not like she has any other choice either. The Renault hugged the inner line as much as the four tires allow it to while Vanessa steered hard this time, not holding back anymore with her cornering range as she knew her friendly rival behind is already pulling something up her sleeve.

The crowd that watched the curve being occupied by these machines was thunderstruck at how intense the battle is between the hatch and the Silvia. With one gripping and one drifting beautifully along with some smokes trailing from the S13’s rear tires, the scene is like a racing war zone with fresh tire trails.

“Whoa...!! What’s with those cars man?!!”

“Goddammit! I’ve never seen someone that can hold a drift from the start all the way to the finish on this wide a hairpin!”

“You can’t do that kind of drift unless you’ve a certain speed hold on your end...what the--?!”

“Hey, two more cars are coming fast!! Whoa, Watch out!!”

On seeing the second duo rapidly approach, the surprised crowd instantly staggered back to the guard rails as they watched the Chaser and Evo blast into the hairpin. The chattering spectators on the hairpin were overwhelmed amidst the full body sensory assault of the two high powered machines racing through.

Mayumi was pulling her handbrake while at the same time gunning the gas pedal along with her other hand steering hard on the wheel to stabilize the powerslide angle. The scene was simply intense and the crowd was all in both awe and confusion as none of them seemed to comprehend what just happened.

The Chaser slides wide exiting the corner, barely grazing the Evo’s rear bumper as the pair continued to slide through, now only centimeters apart.

“Yikes...!”

“Shit, Ayase! You gotta go a bit easier on the brakes if you’re gonna drift that hard! Watch your angle!” Mayumi steered outside a bit to give some room for the Chaser, trusting Ayase to maintain in control of the Toyota. Mayumi knew the consequences of lifting off the accelerator, and so kept it firmly buried into the footwell.

Finally, after a few seconds of correction, Ayase managed to stabilize her drifting angle while blasting through that wide hairpin at the staggering speed of 140 km/h. As for Mayumi, she managed to come out of the exit unscathed as she finally let go off the e-brake and stabilize her red Mitsubishi along the way. Both of them managed to keep the momentum while at the front, Aoi and Vanessa were already very close to each other. The Renault Megane was still ahead, but only just.

“Did you see that...?! Holy shit!”

“Yeah...is there a four-way battle going on? Man, those guys are just insane...! It’s like the terrain doesn’t even matter to them anymore!”

“Whoever’s driving those cars, they’re more than enough to qualify for the D.U.’s time attack event. I am willing to put good money on that bet...” The crowd continued to compliment on the drivers at the stage while the battle continued on with the two spectators going hard from the rear to witness the battle at a close range.

“Man, these two are pushing hard…exactly what part of this is friendly racing?” Ayase thought as she closed the gap between them slightly. She can easily pass the two in front but, what bugged her is that both Vanessa and Aoi were easily going over 160 km/h without hesitation.

“Don’t overdo it, Vanessa...you still haven’t fully recognized the course to get your own rhythm.” Mayumi managed to keep up and went neck to neck with her friend inside the pink Chaser. On the other hand, Aoi and Vanessa are already passing the third checkpoint and they’re proceeding to tackle the long hammer-head-shaped curve of the section.

“Unbelievable...I can barely even keep up at all...so this is the power of import cars...” Aoi thought quietly while maintaining her high-level concentration. She knew the next curve is going t be a tough one, so she quickly adjust her position right behind the green Renault Megane.

“Dammit, I can’t even blink my eyes...this girl’s good!!” Vanessa exclaimed out loud in slight frustration as she almost felt like in a sauna and she is losing a good bit of sweat on her arms and eyebrows. “Next section coming up...if I don’t make it through this hammerhead, I am most likely gonna lose my lead here...here goes!!”

As the hairpin comes in, both cars immediately braked hard and the drivers steered accordingly on the entry speed while keeping it below 100km/h as it is a very sharp turn entry. The crowd that were spectating there on the road layout almost jumped from their seats on the grasses as the cars dive in at such speed.

“WHOA!!!”

As the Renault and S13 tackled the hairpin, all of a sudden, Vanessa felt as if the Renault is slowly losing grip on the front tires as she can feel the response are decreasing gradually when the car hugged the inner lane of the said hairpin, while Aoi on the other hand seemed to be feeling a slight loss of grip on her Silvia’s rear tires. They both then realized that the tires are already overheating, and in this case, Vanessa knew she’s in deep trouble now. Going downhill at such a staggering speed and adrenaline build with a front wheel drive will put an almost immeasurable stress on the front tires of her hot hatch.

As they navigate through the curve in a traditional out-in-out lining, both cars came out unscathed, but the Renault swerved slightly on the outside and nudged on the guardrail by a tiny thud.

“Crap...I messed up on the speed!” Vanessa realized that she dive in way too fast and some of the cornering force from that sharp turn forced the Megane R26:R to the outer guardrail, that little mistake has given Aoi a bit of a chance to catch up.

“Here we go...!” Ayase and Mayumi kept a distance gap from each other and tackled the hairpin along and they managed to blitz through the curve without much problems.

“Whew...can’t believe that those two are still holding up until now...is that...?” Mayumi noticed that the S13’s rear tires are starting to give way, losing traction with each corner. The same could be said for Vanessa’s Renault, the tires were giving in to the strain of the hard racing. “Oh dear, they better end this quick or there’s gonna be an accident soon.”

“Next hairpin’s comin’ up...” Vanessa thought as she continued to keep on her lead with her acceleration pedal buried deep until the entry of the next hairpin arrived. She immediately decelerated and braked hard on her end, then steered on the hairpin’s outer lane at the entry.

The Renault managed to hug the inner lane well, but it didn’t last as the car is swerving on the outside as soon as she reached to the exit of that wide hairpin. Even though she is keeping the speed under control this time, the tires are already giving in on the front and it’ll only get worse by the minute to the excessive heat and stress put on the front tires and on such a steep downhill run.

Aoi on the other hand is somewhat hesitant on her speed entry, but she came out of the hairpin in a very stable manner, even though her S13 is swerving a bit on the outside due to the grip disappearing on the rear, it’s nothing serious. But she and Vanessa realized that if they don’t end the race soon, it’ll be troublesome.

As they went out of the exit, Ayase and Mayumi followed up and tackled the hairpin in a consistent speed range without too much stress and pressure. Their distance gap were there compared to Aoi and Vanessa, but they still managed to lock those two cars in their front mirrors’ view.

“Guess I’ll have to pay more attention to these two from now on...I might be able to learn a thing or two from them...I can’t say much for Vanessa since I don’t know much about her...but aoi...! Just what kind of practice did she go through to go that fast?” Ayase pondered on as she continued the pursuit with Mayumi.

After passing through the hammer-head section of Sadamine, the battle continued in a very intense atmosphere as all four cars blitzed through the straight path and headed to another curve that will soon lead to one more wide hairpin. Vanessa realized that she cannot endure any further stress and thus kept her speed range within a safer 150 km/h at this point. Aoi’s S13 is also on a lower speed range herself, only around 140km/h and she is doing a proper job at maintaining the acceleration rate, despite the slight bumpy terrain of this section.

“Nngh...the road’s filled with pebbles today...I can’t go any faster...my tires are already at their limit! Dang it! Dang it! Dang it!”

As the Renault ran over the road that is filled with pebbles on the tarmac, Vanessa can hear the loud rattling sounds below her car and she can feel the bottom is being pummeled by the tiny little rocks and sands through the tires running them over. It was an unpleasant sight as even she cannot tell how much damage it will cause to the body chassis below if she keeps the high-speed driving on the road at such condition.

Aoi followed along with the S13 going through the tarmac that is blanketed by the roadside dirt and pebbles and the same thing is happening to her Silvia’s bottom too. Even though she is driving slower than her rival in front, she’s not really off the hook from the risk either. The dirt was wreaking havoc with both car’s handling. Some of them even went through the rims of her Nissan and was sprinkled all around the brake discs on the rear tires.

“It’s no good...at this rate we won’t even go pass beyond this hairpin...”

Aoi slowed down further as the entry of the next hairpin arrive, Vanessa’s Renault is also seen with its brake lights lit up, as they continue to bust through the sand and dirt blanketed asphalt, both of them carefully steer through the hairpin and kept a consistent lining without forcing the car too much as they’re both already reaching their limit.

The situation grew tense as both of the cars are already near the exit and it seems that Aoi’s S13 is slowly climbing to a neck-to-neck position with the green Renault.

“Oh crap!!” Vanessa realized that the S13 has got the inner lane as her green hot-hatch is slowly veering out on the lane due to the tires losing grip further, while the front tires of the blue Nissan seemed to be in a less-severe shape, allowing Aoi to slip in and take the inside on the curve at that one moment.

From behind those two, Mayumi and Ayase were also working hard to navigate through the dirty road the hairpin as they kept a safe distance from the racing machines.

“Damn, I can’t believe that they’ll be able to hold on to THIS long even with this type of obstacle in front of them! These two are just plain nuts! Their cars are gonna get damaged if they keep this up...!”

Mayumi knew the battle has taken to a more dangerous turn and if this race dragged on any further, accidents are bound to happen.

“The terrible terrain here doesn’t matter to them at all...what were they thinking?!” Ayase thought as she tried to control the Chaser, which couldn’t use its power on the dirt. Neither one of them would’ve thought that Aoi and Vanessa would be able to go this far on this friendly confrontation.

As all four cars cleared the dirt-smeared hairpin curve, the sands began to subside as they continue on the path to the last checkpoint after two more S curves. Vanessa and Aoi are now neck to neck at this point as their cars are only 10 centimeters apart from each other on that wide road. They cannot have any mistakes here on their speed control or they’ll crash, and adding to the account that they both have heavily stressed and worn out tires to deal with, they knew one of them would have to give up on the lead as soon as the S curves appear.

“Vanessa...! I think I finally understand something from this encounter...thank you...”

Aoi thought with a slight relieved smile on her serious face as she continued to step on the accelerator, no longer holding back as she knew Vanessa is already at her peak in concentration, it will be a contest of braking from the S curve on and only one will be able to hold the lead.

As the curve appear, they both braked hard, almost simultaneously with Aoi being a little late on her part, as both machines steer through the first curve, and with the green Renault holding the inner line on the left side, Aoi cannot muscle her way in due to the tires. As a result, Vanessa’s Megane managed to poke its front end by a few meters and hold the lead while the S13 falls back on the outer lane due to Aoi slowing down, as she can no longer undue any further stress on the rear tires.

“Come on, baby...TURN!!” Vanessa steered as hard as she can to navigate pass the S curve and made her way to the last checkpoint, but as she noticed the S13 is already behind, the car was flashing its hazard lights. “...huh?”

Mayumi and Ayase also noticed the yellow lights blinking on Aoi’s Nissan. It was a signal of retiring a race. Then it all came to a clear picture as Aoi has finally chosen to give up the race as Mayumi can tell that the rear tires are already eaten up completely and she can no longer go any further. With that being considered, Vanessa began to slow down and went easy with her gas pedal as soon as the Renault crossed the line.

“I see...welp, not like things are any better here, might as well stop this battle and be done with it...phew...I feel like I am in a sauna...” Vanessa stopped the car and took out a napkin from her pocket and wiped the manic-sized sweats around her forehead and eyebrows that seemed to be streaming down to her cheeks as she breathed heavily, exhausted from all the concentration used on the battle with Aoi. “I must’ve lost like a few good gallons of sweat back there...I hope Kamiyama’s doin’ alright there...that’s some intense battle...sheesh...”

“Oh...they finally stopped…thank goodness...” Ayase thought as she parks her Chaser on the side of the road not far from where the Evo TME stopped. Both Mayumi and Ayase went to check on Aoi inside the stopped S13 as she is breathing heavily on her driver seat with windows opened.

“Hey, Kamiyama...! Snap out of it, are you alright?” Mayumi began, checking on the white-haired photographer. She was sweating heavily on her face, but she is still conscious and has not fade out yet. She slowly blinked her eyes and turned to Mayumi. Her face was able to slowly show a tiny smile, implying that she is fine, she wanted to talk, but her throat is too dry at the moment. After swallowing a bit of spit, she finally found her voice again as soon as Ayase came and watched her along.

“...I am fine...thank you for your concern, Tsurugi...Itoh...”

Aoi turned to the Renault in front of her and tried to see if the car is still in one piece. Thankfully, other than some dirt being smeared on the bottom of the car and the wheels, no serious damage was done. The body itself is still pretty much intact. Mayumi immediately rushed towards Vanessa whom slowly left the car after she opened the door from the driver’s seat. Other than showing a bit of fatigue, she still seemed to be able to walk at least.

“Whoa, watch it, Vanny....you alright?” Mayumi can feel that Vanessa is starting to teeter about in her path as her vision seemed to be fading out a little before Mayumi gave her a hold to keep her from falling. “Jeez...that’s some reckless driving you pull there...”

“Ah...don’t worry...I’ll be fine. Hehe...” Vanessa smiled, barely able to give a V sign on her fingers. “So...how’s Kamiyama doing...?”

“She didn’t pass out yet. She’s a hell lot tougher than she looks, I’ll give her that.”

“Oh...good. Well, whatever she’s trying to find out in this friendly battle...do tell her that hope this will be enough.” Vanessa said, breathing heavily and trying to keep her consciousness up. “I am burned out...whew. My car’s tires are done for too...guess I won’t be doing any practice runs for today.”

“Well, no worries...I’ll tell her that. Now you go and take some rest before you drive safely back to the peak. Or...do you wish to go home now?”

“Ah...I oughta be able to stay at least a BIT longer, just no more driving though...I feel like I am gonna hurl if I go full throttle any longer than now, hahahaha!”

Soon not long after, Aoi is seen out of her blue S13. She walks slowly towards Mayumi and Vanessa with her neck strapped with her camera.

“Thank you for the battle, Vanessa. It was a thrill ride for me.” Aoi said with a calm smile, her face is still sweating, but nonetheless most of them have been wiped with a handkerchief. “I’ve known a part of you at least from this encounter...it was a fresh experience...I’ve been driving this pass for a very long time...but the race with you made me feel like I have just started all over again.”

“Well that’s good and all but uh...I am still curious though...what did you want to know about me, Kamiyama?”

“It’s just that I am really interested in your potential since your debut being made public across the world wide web. I wanted to see if they’re all true to the source of information I saw, and turns out that I was right in testing your abilities...I wish to write an article about you and your car actually...as well as your experience and thoughts on the mountain stage ever since you entered Japan.” Aoi then held on to her camera and turned it on.

“Oh dear...you’re going to feature me in an article? Boy...I look terrible now.. Ahaha...”

“It’s okay...I just need to take a picture of you...if you don’t mind.”

“Oh, not at all...!”

“Welp, might as well move aside now...” Mayumi left the camera frame as Aoi prepares to take a picture of the very driver that has defeated her in what she believed as her first battle ever since she drove in a car. She clicked on the button and snapped a picture out of Vanessa standing next to her Renault Megane as she pulled down her pony-tailed hair after untying the ribbon and brushed her brown hair aside.

After Aoi was done, Ayase came and check on all three of them, relieved that they were alright and nobody is hurt in the end, despite the intense racing. The race didn’t finish properly to the goal line, but it really didn’t matter. Aoi has gotten what she wanted out of this friendly encounter, while Vanessa managed to learn more about her own potential limit.

But as they all continued to chatter, little do they know that someone else is watching them from a vacant spot of a small parking area near the bushes above of where they were standing on the hills.

“Ah, to think it would be her of all people to stimulate our little Fraulein...” A familiar well-natured voice of a man can be heard as he watches them, or rather...watches both Aoi and Vanessa. Even though his eyes seemed closed, in fact they were open and his little yellow irises seemed almost ominous, even with that big-wide smile he carries on his face all the time. “Welp, I am a bit late for watching the action...but might as well keep a close eye on these two while at it. Little Setsura should have no problems watching that other kid back there by himself.”

---------------------------------------------

A day after Saburo’s first defeat, not bothered by his loss, he slowly got up from his bed and examined the morning sunlight at the windows near his computer desk. The computer itself was still on, but was set on power-saving mode as he was too lazy to turn it off when he returned home after a journey back from Ibaraki prefecture, with his body already exhausted, he simply turn off the lights and hit the sack.

His cell phone’s message box was spammed with new messages, and many of them were from Sakuya, but as usual, he can’t bothered to reply to them yet. He simply recalled what he had gone through last day from how he encountered the mysterious HCR32 and lost his battle, to how he met the driver himself at Ibaraki prefecture and seemed to have learned something and also have a few questions that he may need to find answers on if he is curious enough.

He blinked his eyes calmly and set the computer back on and checked the inbox for any new messages while look on the updated news of what happened recently around the mountain passes of Japan. Although there were no new emails yet, but it is definitely clear that something has happened when he was away yesterday and it took place in Saitama region.

The Driver’s Utopia time attack event has completed the preparations for the official launch of the special event on the date of 6th of July 2013, which is technically 12 days from now. There’s still time for open registrations as most of the locals have already taken their part in registration process, however, Saburo is not really interested in that part of announcement as the highlighted word of Renault grabbed his eyes’ attention.

“Hmm? There’s only one Renault here in Japan that I know of for the time being...could it be...?”

Saburo thought, clicking on the link that wrote [Unknown Four-way-Showdown involving a mysterious import car – confirmed to be green Renault. Race progress impresses and shocks crowd watching!]

And when there’s a video stream footage available for clicking, he played the video and noticed the clips were all mixed footages from amateur-recordings of the race on different spots of the Sadamine Pass. The green Renault Megane R26:R was racing the blue S13 intensely with a pink Chaser and red Evo TME following closely from behind. The smokes from the drifting and powersliding from those cars save for the front-wheel-drive Renault made the entire scene feel like an actual warzone in the making rather than a race.

“Jeez...talk about making a theatrical impression...this is ridiculous...” Saburo thought, having mixed feelings about Vanessa’s actions on Sadamine. “Guess that Mayumi is going to have her hands full just keeping watch on her action...still, not that I actually care about it...hmm?”

Saburo’s cell phone is vibrating again. It’s a new message from Hatori Fuuyama this time.

“...”

He clicked on the message and read the context of it.

“Hey, Black Prince! It’s been almost half a year since we last talked. How have you been doing? I heard from the princess that you’re managing yourself pretty well with her alone. But let’s not talk about that for now.

You can be a bit of a mean guy, you know that? You left the princess alone here with me and went off somewhere all by yourself and she’s worried sick. But I am sure you’ll return to us whether you like it or not in the end. So do us all a favor and come meet up at the usual spot, shall we? Don’t keep her waiting now!

P.S: How is your 180 doing? Do tell me you managed to keep that thing in one piece, that car’s valuable to both you and us. I will be doing a full check up on the car later with Sakuya.

“...there we go again, that woman never changes...” Saburo scratched his head, putting his cell phone inside his pocket soon after. “Might as well go see those two...and explain things to them.”

Saburo shut down the computer and grabbed the car keys of his 180SX and headed downstairs after he closes the fan switch and shut the door to his room. After he is done changing his old T-Shirt quickly, he checked on the living room one last time to see if there’s anything else he forgot to switch off just so he doesn’t leave the electricity running with no one to occupy at the house before heading out of the door.

He has been living all by himself for a very long time ever since his mother left him in charge of the house since 5 years ago with him being entrusted with a fair amount of money for his everyday use. The remainder of the money is still there and it’s more than enough to keep him well for another few more months with his strictly conservative ways of spending his parents’ wealth.

He opened the gates wide and hopped into his black Nissan, started the engine and drove its way out of the path before he got out and shut the gates tight with the silver lock holding the handles before got back into the vehicle and drove away.

The parking area at the mountain Akina seemed to be completely vacant at this point as it is still technically very early for anyone to come traveling on the top of the mountain pass just to enjoy the scenery, however, save for a few delivery trucks that is meant for the buildings on Akina Lake, there was a familiar car that parked around the outskirts of the lake itself.

It’s a familiar Supra that is a JZA70 respectively, and there were two females sitting on the hood of the car.

“Hey, Four-eyes.”

“What now, princess?” Hatori responded with a smirk.

“You sure that guy is going to come?”

“Positive.”

“...”

Sakuya wouldn’t hold her breath just yet. Ever since Saburo gave her that mildly cold treatment and wander off alone, she has been worried sick about him and she couldn’t even focus on her recent activities with her community. Given how her uncle put her in the leading position of the entire Brotherhood’s meeting on Akagi since a day ago, she can still feel the adrenaline rushing down to her body with her encounter against that blonde-haired driver, Matsu Koreshi in his SW20 MR-2. Sakuya’s JZA80 is currently undergoing repairs at her garage as she is still working on repairing the damaged front end bumper and rear end that was rammed by Matsu’s SW20. It was an intense battle and Sakuya can still feel the impact on it.

As they continued to sit on the car, a familiar engine sound can be heard and Sakuya immediately recognized it. The black 180SX made its way from the bottom of the Akina mountain to the parking area.

“Speak of the devil...” Hatori said with a mildly playful tone, knowing that the person whom Sakuya waited for has finally came back to see her again. Sakuya immediately got up and watched as the 180SX parks next to the JZA70. Saburo got out from the car and turned his eyes on both of them.

“...”

Sakuya walked towards to him before anything else, she was both frustrated, yet at the same time, happy to see him standing before her again.

“Sakuya... Sorry that I --”

Before Saburo can even finish his apology, he was stopped by Sakuya whom thrown her arms around him and squeezed herself tightly with Saburo’s shoulders before she pulled Saburo’s left ear.

“Save the apologies for later, idiot.” Sakuya said with a calm tone, her green eyes were finally calmed after it remained in frustrated state for a long time. “You better keep your promise and take responsibility this time.”

“Hey...that hurts, you know.”

“You’re a man, stop complaining.” Hatori added from behind. “So...how are you doing lately, prince?”

“...nothing new.”

“Haven’t you read any of my mails?” Sakuya began, her tone sounds frustrated again.

“Sorry...I was just too lazy to read anything at the moment that time...” Saburo said in his defense, even though he is not one to look for excuses, he had to admit that he was just lazy that time. “So what have you two been doing while I was off to Ibaraki? How did things go with the Brotherhood?”

“Nothing but a tedious cycle of job after job after job, that’s what.” Sakuya sat on a small platform right next to a red mail box while Saburo sat next to her, followed by Hatori sitting on the other side of him together. “I swear...that stupid old geezer never gave me an actual break when I needed it most.”

Image size reduced, original size: 1400 x 1080. Click here to view the image in its original dimension.

“Hey, don’t speak so harshly to your uncle now, he’s still your leader.”

“Shove it! I don’t get billed as number 02 only to get all the tedious work of coaching and babysitting newbies for one whole bloody day when I could’ve done something more productive for myself.”

“...guess the Brotherhood is also pretty fired up for the event that will take place here soon, huh...”

“Well, you bet. Speaking of which, how’s your 180SX doing? It’s not still in that rough state, is it?” Hatori stared at the black Nissan and other than a bit of dirt being smeared across the lower parts of the car, it’s rather clean all in all and the tires are still in good shape. “Hmm, guess there’s my answer.”

“You’re still being a technician for the Brotherhood?” Saburo asked.

“Nah, but I still love to check on cars that pique my interest, yours being one of them.”

“Hmm...so what did you do during that gathering?”

“Like I said, babysitting a bunch of kids on practice routines.” Sakuya huffed. “And there’s also one hot-shit guy who thinks he’s some tough punk come to Akagi and pick a fight with me while tries to sic his MR-2 on my A80’s ass.”

“...how did the battle go?”

“He rear-ended my Supra hard, but I dinged his ride half-dead in the end. He won’t be bothering me for a time being. But enough about me...” Sakuya turned her attention back to Saburo, closing her sitting position next to him. “So what did YOU do back in Ibaraki?”

“...”

“Come on, prince. Spill it.” Hatori leaned towards Saburo on her end, trying to convince him to simply say it and there’s no slipping out of it this time. Both Sakuya and Hatori were now binding him with their bonds together and he has to keep his promise.

“Well...I was looking for someone supposedly, when I received a call from a man named Schrodinger 2 days.” Saburo began. “He told me to meet him alone at the outskirts of the parking area near Tsukuba pass in Ibaraki prefecture as he has some important news to tell me, and so I did.”

“But who is he to you? Why would you listen to him so openly?” Hatori asked again.

“Because I need a revelation myself. I have to find out who this guy is so he won’t stop bothering me day and night with his constant voice messaging.”

“Couldn’t you just block his ass instead?” Sakuya added.

“No...because many of the things he said are actually rather...concerning to me sometimes. He knows a bit too much about the progress we all made, including about you and Hatori.”

“Huh...?! You’re kidding, right?”

“When have I ever jest, Sakuya?”

“Actually, nevermind him first...! That car...did you race on Tsukuba then?”

“Yes...and I lost.”

“...You WHAT?!” Sakuya felt as if an invisible force just hit her in the head hard.

“To whom exactly? Schrodinger?!”

“No...someone else.”

“Huh? Who’s the guy that beat you then?” Hatori asked calmly.

“It’s a veteran driver in his 40s. His name is Setsura Yuuki. He drives an HCR32 Skyline. White color. I don’t know the exact numbers on his machine, but it’s definitely higher than what I have now on the Nissan. I was completely overpowered by his machine and his experience...”

“Huh, an FR Skyline? Now that’s a rare sight.” Hatori rubbed her chin. “They weren’t that popular before, but that’s not the point obviously...so, anything else that happened during that battle? How did you fare against him?”

“I was merely testing out the limits of the 180SX at its current state with Sakuya restoring the front end, but I never expected a battle out of the white R32, if anything else...that’s why I am simply chasing him without any intentions of trying to muscle my way ahead of his machine when it caught up...clearly, I was taking the correct choice to stop chasing him after he got to my head and cut me off instantly. The difference in power is evident..so I simply gave up.”

“If that Yuuki guy managed to beat you...that alone is saying something...but it’s a veteran, so I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised.” Sakuya scratched her head with a heavy sigh of frustration. Much as it pains her friend to lose so easily with the car she painstakingly restore in the body’s condition, facts are facts. Veterans will overpower someone with no more than 5 years of driving experience, especially in a car that clearly has every specification means to exceed what the 180 can do. “Still...what were you doing after that? Did you happen to see Schrodinger at the meeting spot?”

“...No.”

“...looks like you were tricked then?” Hatori assumed brightly.

“Hardly the case. But instead of seeing who I am supposed to see, I met Yuuki instead. He stopped at the parking area spot that was meant to be the meeting area for me and Schrodinger.” Saburo explained. “He told me that he is there to carry out the message left by his old friend, Schrodinger.”

“So they are connected?” Hatori sighed with her arms crossed. “That may explain why you only met him during that time at Ibaraki’s mountain pass. The last weather forecast I recalled on that last day shows that Tsukuba was heavily misty with very limited visibility. You got some guts, driving that fast with that kind of weather condition, I’ll give you that. So...what’s the message exactly?”

“...He’s going to give me a coaching session in preparation for what I am going to do next on Tochigi area.”

“...what?” Both of the girls said at the same time, puzzled.

“Like I said...Setsura Yuuki will be my mentor in driving for the time being.”

“I am just gotta go and repeat myself again -- What?” Sakuya added to her puzzlement. “Now this is bonkers. I don’t remember you needing any mentors to tell you how to drive.”

“I don’t. But I let him, since it’s not like a bad thing.” Saburo answered briefly. “I have nothing to lose, clearly. Besides, he’s not there to babysit me all the time, so I am actually fine with it. And if anything else, I might gain something out of his momentary tutoring on driving. I may have some work to do in Tochigi Prefecture after all, if I am being honest.”

“Like what, prince?” Hatori asked curiously with a smile on her face.

“Clearing the “Defense Lines” of Tochigi Prefecture. I’ll tell you the objective soon...you don’t really have to join me though...I plan to do this alone or with help, either way.”

“Oh, no. Screw that, Saburo! I am coming with you, whether you like it or not this time!” Sakuya grabbed Saburo’s arm firmly. She will not let him go this time, and she will be part of what he is doing, after realizing that it is something that she is able to help out on. “You’re going to need a very good mechanic to look after your machine with those battles in future, and not to mention a backup driver along. I’ll be your number two. You have to keep your promise, alright?”

“...I will.”

“And you just did, prince. If you’re planning to do that...then count me in too. I didn’t come all the way here just to watch some free-show. I can do that all night at my own house if you know what I mean.” Hatori grabbed Saburo’s other arm, her eyes locked dead on to the brown-haired young man. “I don’t really play the technician card anymore, but the princess is gonna get really stressed if she means serious business in working your machine for this purpose. I’ll be number three then. Glad we’re all back together again as a trio, doesn’t it?”

“Humph...I guess. So it’s settled then...let’s practice a run on Akina later when we head back to Tochigi. It’ll be a good warm up at least...if nothing else.”

“Works for me. I am driving, by the way, Four-eyes.” Sakuya reached out her hand, as if she is asking for something. “The keys, hand em’ over.”

“I am all for that if we’re having a bumper car competition, Your Redness.” Hatori giggled in a very teasing manner, twirling her car keys freely, tossed it and catches it back before Sakuya can snatch it by force in midair. “I am driving, sorry.”

“You can still drive with me back in Tochigi’s mountains, Sakuya. Just let it go.” Saburo tried to break them from arguing, as he clearly isn’t in the mood to deal with those two from biting each others’ necks, even if they’re doing it in a love and hate friendship way.

“Fine, whatever...” Sakuya shrugged and let out a huge sigh, she walked towards the passenger door of the purple JZA70 and hopped inside the seat, waiting for Hatori to enter the driver’s seat. Saburo did the same on his end as both cars left the parking area.

- つづく -

This post has been edited by Rin on Jul 30 2014, 07:52 PM

I see you made some slight changes...ah well.

At least the contents are still the same. Keep it up, Rin. xD

You oughta post up a double update today. xP

...It's time. =)

Code 9: Calm on the Shores

It was a calm and windy night at Sadamine Pass at Saitama area, but the weather didn’t affect Adachi. She was too busy scanning the road inside her Skyline R32 as she zipped past the wide sections with dynamic apex driving technique. She was as sharp as always, with her driving senses acting up all on her reflexes from the high-speed driving.

As the R32 zipped past the people around the watching at one curve, they all immediately recognized the GT-R as Adachi’s.

“Hey, she’s getting better and better, don’t you think?” One of the audiences asked.

“Didn’t you know? She will be attending the time attack event from Driver’s Utopia! I heard she has a feud with someone too. Man...I can’t wait to see who is the unlucky bastard that ran into her bad side. When Adachi runs on Saitama, she’s a top tier driver.”

“Guess we can expect more than just your everyday usual action once the time comes huh...and about that unlucky guy that picked a fight with Adachi...rumor has it that it’s a girl actually, a young one at that.”

“Huh? Who would it be? Is she a local here?”

“I don’t know....all I heard is that she once managed to beat one of Adachi’s members...and that would definitely piss her off for real...since those ladies don’t take losing to outsiders well...”

As the audiences chattered about Adachi, she was driving harder still. She thought back to the video she saw on the BBS forums when the Saitama section announced that the unknown Renault driver. She remembered the huge impact Vanessa made across the Sadamine pass that night. And now, she set her sights to remove this obstacle from the roads of Saitama. The videos of Vanessa’s unexpected 4 way battle earned her even more hype and the battle itself has pretty much made Vanessa Anderrson’s name a center of attention to the prefecture.

Just remembering that put anger into Adachi’s mind as she has grown even more disdained by Vanessa’s display of strength and resolve for not budging off her way.

“Vanessa...damn her...”

She thought grudgingly, her teeth gritted tightly as she buries the accelerator pedal down on a long wide straight section of Sadamine’s path. She was driving over 170km/h, but the speed didn’t faze her senses at all. The only thing that is bugging her now is Vanessa’s name echoing through her head slowly.

Things were only a few notches calmer once the practice run was settled, but Adachi’s inner flames didn’t subside just yet. As her members arrive and confront her, she got out from her R32 once the engine is shut and walked slowly towards them.

“Hey, Adachi...” Mikan began.

“...what’s the time taken on my last run? You got it on the stopwatch, right?”

“Well...it’s...4 minutes and 34 seconds. 2 seconds faster than your last run.”

“...I am doing 2 more rounds. Watch the time for me.” Adachi turned around and checked on the car’s front engine once she popped the front hood on the Skyline to see if the car is too hot for any more runs.

“But Adachi...you’ve been running constantly for like that since this evening. Tires ain’t cheap now, you know.” Megu tries to reason with her leader, knowing that she has been using quite a number of spare tires to continue her cars’ run, and the amount of fuel she used is also reaching to a concerning level for one day. “Come on...take some rest. We can take Vanessa on --”

“Stow it, Megu!” Adachi turned quickly with her eyes flaring with anger and frustration as she grabbed Megu’s shirt by force and dragged her towards Adachi’s face upclose. “How many times must I tell you? If you let up even a bit from now on, you can forget about beating anyone else, let alone our first actual rival!! You’ve already cocked up once and you still didn’t learn anything from that loss?!”

“...” Megu didn’t say a word, she can only say that Adachi has a point deep down inside her head. She shouldn’t have utter Vanessa’s name in front of Adachi, seeing as how she too; have seen Vanessa in action with the S13 and the level of improvement she sees just put her in a huge shock. Adachi is furious about this and she too knows it, and she was being stupid to talk about it in front of her, of all people.

“...I am sorry, Adachi...”

“Forget it...” Adachi let go off Megu’s shirt and closed the front hood of her R32. “Only five days left...we will have our victory. We’ve been humiliated long enough by that Gaijin. Prepare for my next time-attack run, Mikan.”

“...alright then...Adachi.”

------------------------------------------------------

One week has passed since Vanessa’s last race against her new friend, Aoi Kamiyama, a photographer from the well-known community; Driver’s Utopia across Sadamine downhill. The battle remained fresh inside the young brunette’s head as she can still feel the adrenaline rush deep down her heart’s pulse.

“Aoi...boy she sure is quite an amusing girl...this place turn out to be full of surprises!” Vanessa thought cheerily inside her head. “Still...just 5 more days to go before I can see her again. Might as well take this chance to check out the local garage here on what I can get to power up a bit on the Renault...my budget isn’t all that high, but I’ve to at least do some basic tune ups when competition is slowly getting fierce.”

Before this, she did consider relying on Sakuya for her tune-up plan, but that’s when she remembered something.

“I wanted to find tune-ups from Sakuya too...but she’s been busy lately with Sabby’s car...so that’s sorta out of the question. Bummer though, I really want to see what kind of tune-up she can do on my Renault. It’ll definitely be quite a sight to see the power it churns out if she’s the one tuning it...”

Vanessa thought on, recalling the fact that she did ask Sakuya once to tune her car, before she has decided to look for her own like she did right now. Sakuya and Hatori have been busy working on Saburo’s 180SX in preparation for something which Vanessa forgot to ask, and putting more workload on them sure as heck won’t be fair.

She continued to drive across the small town near around the Shoumaru Pass while slowly passing through the parked cars across the small district. There were numerous shop buildings there, and it feels like Vanessa is doing a little drive-by shopping. There was a bakery, a bicycle shop, and then there’s also a small ramen stand. The air around this small town was as peaceful as it can be.

“Aww, how peaceful this little town is...thank goodness I didn’t choke up here. Haha!” Vanessa joked sarcastically inside her thoughts, driving around to look for a garage shop still, and much to her favor, she finally found her first sign. There were tires being stacked around a fairly large shop and it says Racing-NEXT Garage. “Ah, there come my angels now.”

Vanessa moved in on the vacant spot of the red garage as she slowly parks her car next to the lifted vehicle that the staffs were working on. It was a blue Mazda RX-7 FD3S Spirit R. The owner of the garage then slowly walked out from his office as he notices the green Renault is parked on the spot. The same goes for the staffs too, as they were all staring at the unusual car that is rare in Japan.

“Eh, isn’t that?” One of the younger staff muttered, staring at the car, his eyes were slightly wide.

“An import...now that’s not something you see normally other than BMWs and Benzes.” As the staffs pondered who may be the person behind the wheel, they all focused to Vanessa as she slowly got off the vehicle.

“Oh, a girl...oops!” The man almost forgot his most important part of his job as a serviceman and then walked to the front and faced the young brunette. “Umm, welcome to TALISMAN Racing Garage, lady. Is there anything we can help you with?”

“Umm...yeah. Hello guys! Say...mind if you guys help me out on doing a quick check up on the Renault? I am curious as to how much it can do and see if there’s any recommended tune ups that can be done to improve my ride.”

“Mm...excuse me young lady but...you’re not a local here, are you?” The garage owner walked to the front and asked politely.

“Well, I live in Saitama for the time being, I came from Sweden though. Is there a problem, Mr. Manager?” Vanessa asked, scratching her head with a bit of a narrow smile.

“No, it’s just that we don’t have foreign customers lately...so it’s a refreshing experience to serve you.”

“Oh...thanks. Ahaha...”

“So what’s your name, young lady?”

“Vanessa Anderrson.”

“So Miss Anderrson...mind if you pop the hood?” The manager asked again. Vanessa nodded and proceeded to open the front hood of her parked Renault, revealing the I4 engine that is sitting inside the machine. It’s still in good condition and the manager was pleased with the overall looks of the Renault. “Mmm...not bad. The turbine is still in good shape. Did you use this machine to race before?”

“Yeah. Not too often though. If anything else I am always using this car to practice my mountain runs here.” Vanessa confessed. There’s certainly no need for her to conceal what she did when she is bringing her car to the garage for a check up, especially with her current intention.

“I see...” The manager then checked on the suspensions. “Mmm...”

“So...you see...I was wondering, Mr. Manager.”

“Yes? Speak.”

“Do you know what type of tune-ups I may be able to do with the car at its current state now?’

“Hmmm...” The manager rubbed his chins before he went to check on the brake pads too. Then he proceeded to check on the rear seats and the overall body rigidity. “Well first off, you may want to change the suspension and brake pads. They’re still good to go, but it’s better if you swap a new set. If you keep driving this machine while steering it left and right hard, the suspensions won’t last. And then there’s another small problem with your car -- weight.”

“Oh...you mean the rear seats...” Vanessa said with a tongue stuck out. She knows what the manager meant as soon as he uttered the problem of weight on the car. “Well...I never fetch anyone on the car’s rear before...so...might as well remove them?”

“If that’s your wish, young lady.” The manager added with a smile.

“Sure...my aunt will only be needing the passenger seat next to me anyways. The rear seats can go, for all I care.”

“Now for the suspension...” The manager and Vanessa looked at the brake rotors, pads and the suspension itself. “Normally these alone would last long and if you’re conservative with your driving style, it should still be able to hold you well for a few good runs. But it’s that sort of judgment that causes fatal mistake for the car in the end. We don’t really have matching ones that were meant for this little Renault you bring, but...rather than requesting one from overseas and get overcharged, how about we replace the Renault’s suspension with a racing grade one?”

“Oh, yes please. Anything better than this would do, manager.” Vanessa said cheerily. “I always thought the car was acting funny these days since my last friendly race on Sadamine. The suspension oughta be wearing down by now...and what about the brake pads?”

“Again, we don’t have the original parts for the little hatch you brought here. We’ll just replace it with a bigger set for better response and braking. How does Akebono sounds for you?”

“Oh sweet, you have that?!” Vanessa clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Well, racing grades one that is. Mind you, these aren’t imitation types.”

“I will soooo take it, manager!” Vanessa grinned. “So, anything else that can be done for this car? An uh...how much is it gonna cost me? I don’t really have too much on my credit card here so...bleh...hope I am not asking too much.”

“For now it will cost roughly about...” The manager grabbed a calculator and did some calculations, and once he is done with it after a few seconds, he wrote the total amount on a piece of paper. “...this much. It’s negotiable of course.” The manager showed the price to Vanessa as she reads it. After a long pause, Vanessa smiled nervously...

“Umm...would you mind making it a little.....LITTLE cheaper than this? Haha...”

“Hmm...I figured you’ll say something like that...nevermind. We’ll do what we can first. Then we will talk about the payment later.” The manager said with a friendly grin. He knew the little young brunette didn’t want to spend most of the money on her card for this tune-up just yet, and he already know how to deal with it. “So...you wish to stay here and watch us do our work or would you be going elsewhere at this time? Things like this could take quite a while, you know?”

“No, it’s cool. I’ll stay and watch from the side, if you don’t mind that is.” Vanessa insisted. This is her car after all, she has to keep an eye on it at least to be at ease. Besides, she is really interested in how the mechanics do their work here on her machine.

“Suit yourself then, young lady. Jun, prepare some tea for our customer there, would you?” The manager ordered a young cap-wearing staff standing next to her with an iron wrench on his left hand.

“Y-yes, boss!” The young man stuttered as he walked into the office and grabbed a small cup and prepared some tea along.

“Alright boys...let’s get working.” The manager said as Vanessa finds a chair and takes a seat, with half of the staffs starting to work on the Renault, the other half still working on the RX-7. Vanessa then watched the roads outside the garage as the people are walking about with cars passing through from both directions.

“Hmmm...I wonder what else I can do for today?” Vanessa thought as she grabbed a random automobile magazine from the wooden desk next to her and read it. As she flips through the contents, she saw many different brands of separate parts for tune-ups of many kinds of cars. “Might as well check the forums or something later...I might check out that little candy store at the opposite side of the garage too. Huhu...”

------------------------------------------------------

Saburo is currently checking for his mails as usual in front of his computer, seeing as Sakuya is currently working his car at her garage with Hatori, there’s nothing much he can do on his end, but despite the uneventful atmosphere, it didn’t worry him one bit at all.

Since he had nothing much to be concerned about other than waiting for Sakuya and Hatori’s good news on the preparation for the beginning of Defense Line Breach plan, Saburo is now only on the lookout for any useful information out there that may serve a bit of useful heads up at least before he make his move. It won’t help much, but it’s the very least he can do when he is at home with his computer alone. As he skims through the inbox, surprisingly, there were no new emails yet, save for one that he got from Sakuya yesterday on 30th of June. He clicked on the mail again and the content reads:

Hey, Saburo. It’s me, just telling you that I am almost done with doing some modifications on your 180. You can pick it up within a few more days, once Four-Eyes is done tweaking a few settings on the gear ratio of the Nissan. Here are the list of modifications I made for the 180 so far:

- Mechanical LSD that is adjustable

- Reinforced clutch

- Lighter sets of flywheel

- Strengthened stabilizers

- Swapped out on high-grade-racing suspension

- Racing plugs and ground-wiring

- Increased boost

- Horsepower output is currently at 350

This may not be everything I can do for you, but it should be enough for now on Tochigi’s low-speed courses. We’ll run another tune-up check on your car once we’ve cleared the Defense Lines here.

...I truly am grateful that you would propose to do this and allow me to be your mechanic and let me do my role properly for you. Thank you, Saburo....

Anyway...I’ll let you know if I plan to do anything else. Once the car’s done, Four-Eyes will be doing a little test-run across Irohazaka. Let us know if you wish to come along...that’s all. See you later, Saburo.

“...”

Saburo skimmed through the mail and checked on the list once more before he exits the inbox page and went back to the tab where the BBS is on and it’s updated with new posts once Saburo hits the F5 key for a refresh. He has nothing to comment about what Sakuya did on the 180SX, but it is definitely going to make his job on going for the Defense Line breach a lot easier than using the car at its original state.

As he continued to skim through the BBS posts, there were countless new replies on many threads, mostly on Saitama , Ibaraki and Kanagawa section. And Saburo can only guess that Vanessa’s battle against Driver’s Utopia’s photographer had hyped up the scene in Saitama even more.

There were also new posts across Ibaraki prefecture and Kanagawa prefecture, even though there weren’t much hot-topics to discuss about yet.

Out of boredom, Saburo read through the threads on Saitama section and there’s one little thread that now has a flaming symbol on it, indicating that it’s the current hot topic on Saitama. It was titled as [Mysterious Swedish driver debuted on Saitama Prefecture!!], Saburo can only feel that it will always be her for whatever hot topic that is going on for now on Saitama. He clicked on the link and the page opens up with the BBS page shown.

SPOILER

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“...”

After he is done reading it, he can only feel, how long will it take for the hype to reach the breaking point when 5 more days arrive on the event day?

Leaving that thought aside, Saburo proceeds to check on other posts made by the users across the Shoumaru pass. It also stated that a new thread there has been stickied on top to work as an announcement of some sort entitled [Shoumaru Pass’s Aces Returning]. Saburo clicked on the thread and read through the BBS logs.

SPOILER

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“...they just have to make this hard, don’t they?”

Saburo thought on the increased number of drivers that will defend the area. Even though he has no intention of breaking through all of the Defense Lines across all of Japan, it is evident that the number of drivers will be involved with the defense lines has increased significantly, much to his displeasure.

After he is done examining the lists on the Shoumaru section, he returned to the main page and clicked on the Ibaraki Prefecture boards, but unfortunately, there were no new posts about anything that piqued his interest at all, there were two new threads and one of them is about brand usage for parts, while the other is talking about how to conserve grip by using harder tires.

He skipped that BBS page without reading those and finally clicked on to Kanagawa area’s BBS boards and that caught his attention now. There were two threads that were marked as hot topics, which is respectively titled as [Presenting Ayase Tsurugi, the aspiring model street racer on mountains!] while the other being [Be careful with that red Fairlady Z...]

SPOILER

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“Looks like things are heating up already on the mountains around Kanagawa area...even though that place was always famous for high-level drivers.” Saburo though quietly, skimming through the second thread’s posts, and he can tell that the red Fairlady Z’s rampage will definitely cause trouble as time went on, for him and the members of the defense Lines.

“Ayase Tsurugi...” Saburo recalled the name again, before he looked at the car once more in the picture posted from the link. “...that Chaser...it’s the same car that is involved with the battle between Vanessa and that Kamiyama girl...so she’s a model too. And I guess Mayumi must’ve somewhat dragged her into this, seeing as how close those two are from what the people said...”

“But what about this Z? I haven’t really heard of such stories on Gunsai Touge since that stage was abandoned by drivers for unknown reasons a while back...I never really buy this, but for now...I guess I’ll be on lookout for this driver, just in case.” Saburo thought again before he closes the BBS tab and opened a new one which leads him to Google search page again. “This driver may be far from where I am...but we’ll never know when we move there. Huh...oh well.”

Saburo sit back and stretched his arms slowly before he glanced at the blue skies outside the window, took a deep breath after he is done reading the forums for any news and updates on events.

“...Guess I’ll just check out some other info about Driver’s Utopia later...”

- つづく -

Ah, so she really did swap in the 3S-GTE after all. And in other news: I have definitely taken way too long to respond with there being two new chapters out already.

So we got ourselves a four way battle in Chapter 8 and it wasn't a bad read. Decent racing action and it shows how the newly introduced characters drive as well as how Vanessa compares to them, and ends up smoothly getting even more of the plot into motion, so that's definitely a plus too. Just one thing I can't help but point out here.

This particular technique... Well, while e-braking all the way through a turn with the pedal down does help with sliding FWD cars, it's generally a pretty bad idea in cars that aren't FWD. In the AWD Evo's case the central diff would still be trying to send power to all four wheels even though the rear wheels are mostly/completed stopped, so assuming the e-brake didn't simply get overpowered in a way that damaged it, the engine would stall trying to spin up the rear wheels again, no power would be getting to either the front or rear wheels and thus, with the rear wheels still locked up, she'd likely end up just slamming tail-first into the outside guardrail pretty quickly.
Of course, there are aftermarket e-brake systems out there that automatically disengage when torque's trying to get to the rear wheels and some drifters do use them for the sake of convenience, so a technique like this in RWD and AWD cars wouldn't be completely impossible in that case. But if Mayumi's Evo does have an e-brake like that, then that's the sort of thing that needs a brief mention to explain a move like this.
But keeping the parking brake on through the whole turn would still look a little weird for it though. As I'm getting at with the "automatically disengage" part: e-braking that much isn't even necessary here. Lan-Evos and most sporty AWDs have a rear biased torque split to begin with (meaning they're closer to RWD than FWD), and every Evo from the Evo IV and onwards comes with Active Yaw Control - which reads driver inputs and adjusts the power split between the rear wheels accordingly to improve turning. A little e-braking or trail-braking on the entry would be enough to get it sliding, and then the e-brake wouldn't be needed at all - the throttle alone would keep it sliding with no further e-braking necessary.

Of course, you might already know that much given how long ago these chapters were originally written.

Yeah, I could've made that bit a little shorter. Sorry if I got a little too critical there. Stuff like this just sticks out to me.
But again, still a nice race scene. The driving otherwise stayed believable enough, the writing managed a convincing portrayal of how difficult managing that pace was, and the small moments where the onlookers reacted to that battle worked well for building things up. And the conclusion to that race wasn't bad either.
After that there's a look at what Saburo's up to, and then the meet up with Sakuya and Hatori, both of which keep things moving along as usual. Smooth scene transition as always, the BBS stuff again does a good job of quickly showing what the racing scene's paying attention to, and the conversation here - like the conversations earlier in the chapter - do a fairly decent job of keeping one's attention. That's another long chapter fully read, and once again reading through all that felt worth it.

And onto Chapter 9. Adachi prepping to take on Vanessa actually managed to make it feel like things were gonna get pretty serious later on. That whole scene ended up being more interesting than I expected for those characters; the sense of pressure it tried to create certainly managed to come through, and if that pressure is a sign of things to come, that inevitable showdown between Adachi and Vanessa might turn out to actually be pretty interesting as well. I know I'm certainly looking forward to it a little now.
After that chapter 9 ends up being a little of a breather chapter as it leisurely sets up a few more things, but I don't find that unwelcome - a small break from all the action works quite well at this point, and it still keeps plot progression going even with that. The shorter length also made for an easier read, and at the same time it stayed lengthy enough to give the chapter a proper pace for how it goes.

Vanessa's reaction to the price of those upgrades was pretty fun. That's gonna be expensive alright. Not a bad job with her looking around town and coming across that tuning shop in the first place either - makes for a smooth scene transition while avoiding slowing things down to a crawl, and the dialogue here does what's necessary and helps out with that as well. Hopefully them "doing what they can" right now doesn't lead to her having to pay too much on the spot anyway.
And finally, back to the internet with Saburo. All that BBS stuff once again does a good job of quickly fitting in more plot details in a way that feels natural rather than forced. Yep, things are definitely getting serious with the time attacks coming up and the sort of talk it's generating. I have to say though, that post that gets to talking about exactly what Ayase realised in that four way battle... Was there an interview with her after that race or is there a freaking psychic on those boards now? Because those were some very specific words from someone uninvolved in it.
Perhaps the one rough patch in all the exposition here, but again a minor thing if it is. And so now there's also a particularly bump-happy Z driver to watch out for on Gunsai. Even more effective build-up for the future chapters going on there.
That 180's gonna be a much faster machine with all the stuff Sakuya and Hatori are doing to it, and it's looking like Saburo's gonna be needing it. Things are definitely just getting started, and I know I'm still interested in what happens next.

(Could've structured this post better, but oh well, guess that's what happens when you try to briefly review two chapters at once)

So anyway, that's about it for yet another belated response. Keep up the good work and keep it coming.

This post has been edited by Meteor on Aug 4 2014, 08:49 AM

Ahh, thanks again for another detailed feedback, Meteor. You're a godsend for this. =)

Anyway...let's not beat around the bush, I am aware of that little hiccup lol. I will pay attention next time I do any updates on further chapters.

And now....another update!

Code 10: Whereabouts of Arise

It was another one of those mild cloudy afternoon at the studio of Miyamura near the city of Ayase in Kanagawa prefecture. Everyone inside the studio were as professional as always. The models of both genders prepared for their photo shoot inside he dressing rooms, passing the time with small talk with each other as the assistants efficiently worked away on their make-up.

The models were all posing on the stage while the photographers continuously snap pictures. The flashes may be blinking several times at once, but the models were professional. Not once do they blink at the cameras, and not once did they lose their poise. The cameramen weren’t having a hard time taking good photos either.

It was not long until it was Mayumi’s turn. She was dressed in a rather skimpy outfit, befitting that of a gravure idol. She was posing seductively, and coupled with her outfit, even the seasoned photographer’s composure was being tested. Mayumi’s photo shoot ended without incident, with very satisfied feedback from the manager and photographers. As she had headed off to the changing rooms, Ayase took the center stage.

She was dressed in a more reserved manner, but an overwhelming charm still exuded from her, on any angle. As the photographers took pictures of her posing for a few more minutes, the studio crew were already preparing for the next shoot. It seemed like the studio has another typically busy day ahead.

After half an hour passed, Mayumi and Ayase were done with their day’s work. Mayumi was now clad in her cream colored bath robe, while Ayase s wiping a bit of sweat off her brows from the intense heat on the spotlights.

“Good work, Ayase.” Mayumi began, with a tap on Ayase’s shoulders.

“Same to you too, Meat.” Ayase teased back in return. “Seriously, just what did you eat or drink to get all that saucy bits on your chest?”

“It’s a secret routine, Ayase. But I’ll share with you in future.” Mayumi chuckled. “Anyway, let’s grab a drink after this. It’s on me today, so don’t hold back.”

“Well, if you say so... Starbucks.”

“...eh, alright then...just wait for me while I get changed.”

As Mayumi walked away and headed to a changing room, the manager of the studio came towards Ayase and he seemed rather pleased about everything that is going around.

“Another session well-done, Ayase.” The manager said. “You were a lot better than before, what gives?”

“Oh, nothing...I just happen to be in the zone today, you can say...haha...”

“I see. Well, keep it up. You’re doing great, give my best regards too on Mayumi.” The manager stared at the changing rooms, only to imagine that she is probably busy changing back to her usual clothes after that rather revealing session of photo-snapping. “Oh, and by the way...please try not to get involved into racing too much...”

“Eh...? But it’s been quite a few days since I--”

“Well, you know...rumors travel fast through the net. Some say you have been quite active lately around Saitama...” The manager chuckled. “Whatever the case may be...stay safe out there. I won’t stop you, but do watch yourself. You have a stable job, don’t lose it...the last thing I want to see is my models get hurt from reckless driving...” He tapped his hand on her shoulder before he turned around and walks away slowly, then waved goodbye without looking at Ayase.

“...”

Ayase watched as the manager left the room while Mayumi got out finally with her clothes changed. Ayase only wondered how will the day last with her being a semi-active driver along with her job at the modeling studio.

“So, I am done, Ayase. Shall we get going?”

“Yeah..let’s.”

The Starbucks cafe near the city of Ayase was filled, but not fully packed yet. Mayumi and her friend managed to find a quiet two-seat table inside the cafe in the upper floor. The two sat at a window seat, a refreshing breeze blew through the opened second floor window as the pair chatted away. Ayase was sipping down some Espresso while Mayumi enjoyed a cool cappuccino.

“Ah....it sure is a nice break after the photo session from the studio.” Mayumi let out a sigh of relief before she grabbed her cellphone and text a message to her colleagues.

“...yeah, I guess so.” Ayase shrugged, taking another sip of her Espresso coffee. “It’s been a while since I came here to take a break with you...feels like it’s been quite a long time since the last time we are together like this.”

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“Heh...anyway, I’ve been wondering...how’s your registration going on the Driver’s Utopia event?”

“Huh? Oh that....well...I still haven’t given up yet. I really want to know how good I am at driving on mountain passes. Taking part in that event on Saitama may be my next step in realizing my potential as a driver, needless to say. I have a very flexible working schedule, so...no hindrance to my working time.”

“Mhmm...I see.”

“So, what about you?”

“Do you even need to ask? I’ll be joining of course! With so many people working on the preparation, I just can’t stand around doing nothing while let all those plebs hog all the glory on the streets!” Mayumi brushed her hair back, being a somewhat glamorous model that she is, and putting Ayase in an awkward position.

“Err....right. Knowing you, I am sure you already called dibs on the event.”

“Still...putting that aside...what do you think of Vanessa?” Mayumi smiled. “She’s a good kid, isn’t she?”

“Well...she’s...not bad I guess.” Ayase shrugged. “I can’t really say for sure since I only know her recently. But she definitely had potential as a great driver. For her to be able to get to this level with such a low-powered car is no easy feat. And driving on mountains aren’t easy at all even for docile cars.”

“True that...but what do you think of her as a person?”

“Well...she’s a cheery type, a little spunky too.” Ayase gave a narrowed smile. “Heh...the fact that she was able to get in a feud with that....Adachi girl and her team means that she must’ve done something to really tick those locals at Saitama off for them to take her so seriously.”

“Well, that’s what it means to have a competitive spirit.” Mayumi piped up. “Vanessa’s efforts are to simply stimulate the rivals to give their all to go against her. That’s what it really is about if she wishes to improve fast while experiencing the battles of intense opponents. It’s all about the game of mental-challenge. Vanessa is that sort of person. She has a long way to go, but I think that kid has what it takes to take it to the top eventually.”

“Right...guess I’ll keep an eye on her sometimes. Otherwise who knows what sorta trouble she’ll get herself into.” Ayase took another sip of coffee as she glanced towards the blue skies. Contrails from a passing plane streaked the sky with thin seams of white. Ayase breathed in deep of the refreshing summer air and let out a soft sigh, enjoying a brief moment of peace before returning her attention back to Mayumi. “So, how’s everyone doing?”

“Everyone...?”

“I mean the Varied Interest Club, Mayumi.”

“Oh, you mean those guys...well, they’re all still good as always.” Mayumi took another casual sip on her cup of coffee again before she continues. “Kaori’s doing fine as usual in Shizuoka. She’s still rolling with her Golf nowadays. And as for Kunitaro...well, he’s still being his usual energetic self with that trusty Z31 of his. He’s been running on D1SL now, even though he’s an amateur, he’s got a bright future, so long as he keeps his head sharp on the game that is.”

“Uh huh...I see Kunitaro is as energetic as always...” Ayase nodded. “And I sure wish Kaori the best in her work...”

“Relax, Ayase. Kaori will be fine. She may look delicate, but she can be tough as nails sometimes.”

“And then....there’s Ishiro.” Mayumi sighed with a narrow smile. “Well, he’s now a well-known world-acclaimed DJ after his skills and talents in playing the saxophone and piano got recognized along with his DJ’ing. He’s now driving a freakin’ Maranello 550, instead of his father’s F40. And guess what? The guy’s still very busy with his DJ business nowadays and he’s still very successful in his job now. The girls just loooove his saxophone.”

“ANOTHER Ferrari? Jeez...talk about astonishing achievement.” Ayase gulped slightly. “Well, is he still feeling alright from all that workload and stress? I sure hope the guy doesn’t overwork himself...and I am just gonna assume that he’s too busy now to even drive around these days?”

“Exactly. Being famous is not an easy life, my friend.” Mayumi brushed her hair again before sipping her coffee again. “And then....there’s Haru, that little kid’s living a rather stable life with her newfound office job. Even now her little Civic remained her trusty companion from getting point A to B. I am kinda glad she kept that thing up to now.”

“What about....Takuro?”

“Well.....he....” Mayumi’s face turned slightly gloom all of a sudden. “...let’s just say that something happened in the past during his little street-racing career that changed him into a different person. He’s rolling in a Onevia now, and to be honest...God knows how much money he’s dumped in that machine. He’s been on a long winning streak lately and I am just going to blunt; the ego of that prideful winning ratio is getting the better of him...I just hope he doesn’t keep up with that cold attitude or karma’s gotta bite him hard in the back. Drivers with that sort of attitude are notorious in the world of street racing while earn you the advantage of making enemies very easily.”

“...” Ayase gave a long pause before she found her voice back again. “...I see...then, what about Rina?”

“The Prez? Oh bite me...” Mayumi groaned annoyingly. “Well...she’s taken up a musician career, much like Ishiro himself in Shizuoka and honestly, she’s doing a bang up job at it. We still argue over lots of shit whenever we disagree with each other but nonetheless we’re still in touch, so to say. She’s still keeping her BMW Z8, up to now. It’s well maintained, and I can only imagine her job’s been the source of her maintenance money on the car.”

“Oh....I see the two of you still like to go after each other’s throats like Crisps and Bloods.” Ayase giggled teasingly.

“Shut it, Ayase. The last thing I wanna hear is you teasing me about us. Humph.” Mayumi crossed her arms and turned her head aside from Ayase.

“Sheesh...you’re still hot-tempered as always, Meat.” Ayase shook her head.

“Well, whatever...” Mayumi took another sip of her coffee. “Well anyway, you wish to know this one guy I met in Tochigi prefecture back in Happogahara a couple of days ago?”

“Huh?”

“You know...the driver of the 180SX? The guy that beat Makoto Souichiro?”

“Oh...! I remember now...! He’s been making a buzz since that race, right?” Ayase uttered. “So what about this guy? You seemed to be really interested in him. Don’t tell me you’re planning to ‘prey’ on this dude...and just reject him while playing hard to get?”

“Oh shove it!” Mayumi chuckled. “I only reject plebs that don’t meet my criteria. And let’s just say that this guy has everything in my book ticked. He may be a bit of a nihilistic lad, but once you get to know him, he’s really quite a sociable guy. A lot more sociable than you may expect him to be.”

“What’s his name by the way...? I kinda forgot already the last time you mention it.” Ayase scratched her head with a tongue stuck out.

“It’s Saburo Misaka. Remember it, okay?” Mayumi blurted out before taking another sip of her coffee again. “He’s a 20 year old guy who just doesn’t care about anything in general. And you know what I like about him? When he doesn’t do jack most of the time, once you managed to convince him to do something, he ends up surprising people all the time.”

“Huh...well that’s pretty ironic, coming from a carefree guy such as himself.” Ayase commented. “Anyway...do continue on. I must say I am a bit intrigued on him too, seeing how you’ve planned to beat this Saburo guy into my skull today...”

“Oh, I got nothing but time today, Ayase...heh.” Mayumi and Ayase laughed casually as they continued to talk while the atmosphere inside the Starbucks cafe remained lively as always with pedestrians walking about outside the ever busy streets.

-------------------------------------------------

It was another quiet evening on the Akina mountain. And just when the birds were planning to have a rest on top of the trees, some of them were already scared off as they flew away when a mildly sharp engine noise echoed through the silent roads. It was an indigo blue small car of such compact size that it seemed too docile to even look like a sports car with great power, but the high-revving engine noise was aggressive enough to scare off the flock of birds.

The car has a slightly modified exhaust tip along with bronze rims. And inside the car there seem to be two people inside it. The car’s front bumper shows the ‘S’ emblem stylized like a zig-zag shape. It was a Suzuki emblem. As the petite car cruise through the straight roads of the Akina across the uphill path, the driver skillfully braked and gently feathered on the accel pad to initiate a bit of drifting on the machine without oversteering it. The car managed to get out of the corner unscathed and the tires hugged the road well enough, despite the lesser traction feel compared to other big cars.

“Good, just keep the speed on that range and you’ll do fine.” A grown man’s voice said on the passenger seat. He seemed to be logging some data by using a tablet while the driver is concentrating.

“Yes, Mr. Sternson.” The driver said casually, turns out that she is a female driver. Her sky-blue hair was brushed aside with a hair clip to watch the road carefully without the bangs blocking her eye view. She steered the wheel gently as the tiny car hugged the curves without feeling forced. The momentum recovered during the corner was consistent and it managed to get the car to exit the turn smoothly. The car continued to run smoothly all the way to the peak under the descending golden sun on Akina mountain...

Once they reached to the parking area at the top of the mountain, the parked Suzuki was sitting idle there with two figures standing behind the guardrail that separates the parking zone and the road itself. One is a slightly chubby man with half-bald brown hair and green eyes, while the other was none other than the driver of the Suzuki itself. She brushed aside her blue hair and observed the peaceful tranquility on the woods of Akina mountain as the birds chirped away freely.

“So, Musoku...how’s the Cappuccino?” The man began.

“It’s perfect, a lot better than I could’ve done myself, Mr. Sternson.” Musoku replied with a relieved smile. “It was a good thing I take references from you in tuning and setting this car, I never tuned something with such lightweight before, so I don’t have the confidence, to be honest.”

“Oh, please...you’re giving me too much credit, young lady.” Sternson chuckled. “You have already become quite an excellent technician to easily pick up the basics on JDM tuning, as well as adapt to any car’s ECU settings accordingly. I am simply teaching you the basics. Nothing more.”

“Basics are most important before advancement, I believe...” Musoku shook her head gently. “You truly have helped me to understand a lot just by assisting on tuning this machine. With so little power I can actually do so much...it’s staggering. And so much different from all the BMWs I’ve been working on since the last year or so...”

“Well...I give the basics and it’s up to you to refine it.” Sternson uttered with a sigh. “With the car rolling under 120 horses, you should be doing adequate by now. Unless you plan to take things to a whole new level.”

“Not now at least.” Musoku laughed.

“So how does it feels to be driving on mountain passes?”

“Well...it’s a fresh experience, needless to say. I always thought it’ll be a bit boring since there’s such limited space to try anything on those twisty roads. But it’s actually...pretty fun. I must say the feeling is...pretty new to me.”

“I am glad you think of it that way, young lady.” Sternson leaned backwards as he gazed at the skies above. “You know...there used to be a group of brave road warriors that defend this mountain stage from outside street racers. They were the known as the Masters of the Touge back then. But that’s just exaggeration, really.”

“So...were they like a team of some sort?”

“Yeah...but even now I am not sure if they still exist here...it still seemed so peaceful.”

“Hmm....I am not sure how long will that ‘peace’ last...” Musoku stared on the other side of the woods. “Even now I can’t help but feel the air around me seemed slightly....ominous. It’s really not something I can explain with logic.”

-------------------------------------------------

It was nighttime at Saitama, and cars are still rolling in mild crowd as the workers were going home after their afternoon shift work. Things were as serene as always in the residence of Vanessa as her aunt Rachel is watching the TV for some news report while sewing on a purple silk dress.

“Vanessa!” Rachel called. “Are you done with the shower yet?”

“Yeah, aunt! I am out now.” Vanessa replied from the shower room as she walked out with a cream-colored bathrobe worn and another towel wrapped around her soaked brown hair. “You can use it now!”

Rachel put aside the silk dress and left the couch with the TV on as Vanessa walked towards the living room. She examined the surroundings for a while before she picked the remote TV controller and switched a few channels for some other interesting programs to watch. But unfortunately for her, none of them suited her taste. And thus, she switch back to the channel that was reporting news still and tossed the remote back on the couch.

“Welp, nothin’ but boring shows tonight...might as well check the forums.” Vanessa thought as she head to the stairs and make her way up to her own room and shut the wooden door with an emblem showing [Vanessa’s Room] on it.

As she sat down on her desk and booted on the PC, she starts to stretch her arms and took a deep breath before anything else.

“Whew...nothing like a good ol’ shower.” Then she grabbed on her iPhone to check if there’s any new mail. And as she expected, she saw two of them. One was from Mayumi and another was from Aoi. “Welp, might as well read what they have to say for today!”

The brunette clicked on the first mail from Aoi. It was entitled [Thank you for that battle].

Hi, Vanessa...

Thanks to the article I wrote about you across the Driver’s Utopia blog entry, you have garnered community’s acclaim and support for your feats. You see to have gained a small fanbase. Isn’t that great?

The last battle between you and I made me learned something that I may have forgotten long ago, and that is to simply let go off doubts and set the path ahead without wavering. I am sorry if I sound weird for saying this...but watching you seemed to have cleared up my doubts about my abilities as a driver.

I just wish to tell you that I am happy that I could become friends with such a capable encounter. It really meant a lot to me. Stay safe and I wish you the best of luck in your life.

Sincerely,
Aoi Kamiyama.

“Why thank you, Aoi.” Vanessa chuckled as she clicked on the next message from Mayumi. It was titled [Get ready for your 3-day-left event!] “Well, aren’t you a thoughtful lady...hehe.”

Hey, Vanny. How have you been doing?

I hope you’re doing well as you only got 3 days left before the actual event day. And boy does the tension goes all the way up. People have been talking a bit about you ever since your battle with Aoi, you know?

Is your Renault ready? I sure hope you got your ride all set and ready. No way in hell are you going to be competitive with an unmodified car. The competition’s gotta be a hell lot more fierce, so don’t slack off.

Anyway, I wish you luck and just so you know, Ayase and I will also be doing our best there. Can’t let you hog all the glory now, can we?

So, take care and give Saburo my best regards, kiddo!

- Mayumi Itoh -

“Pfft, what a spunky big sis she is...” Vanessa chuckled playfully before she closes her cellphone and started browsing on the BBS forums on her PC. She clicked on the Japan-Racing-Series website and logged on to the forums to check the latest posts from the members. Vanessa can see a lot of new posts were made in the Kanagawa section and she saw two threads that piqued her interest. One of them was entitled [Team up and Join Forces For Domination!] at the Tochigi Prefecture section while the other is named [Curse that red Z33], which is on Kanagawa’s Nagao Touge section.

“Well this oughta be interesting...” Vanessa clicked on the first thread and read through the posts as she scrolls down the page.

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“Mhmm...guess that’s more teams to look out for. Haha!” Vanessa thought. One can only imagine just how enthusiastic she is in meeting these two teams that seemed to be on each other’s throats now. “Both BULLET-Drive and Apex-Riders sounds like a worthy racing team worth my time. Too bad they’re not on the side of Japan.” Vanessa then pressed the backspace key and clicked on the second thread that was on Kanagawa section.

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“...” Vanessa nearly choked on her own spit when she read the post from furious users. “This Z is bad news...might as well look out for it. This is definitely one sick driver that I don’t want to even look eye to eye against.” Vanessa then closes the internet browser before leaving back to the desktop page. “Ah well...my car’s ready now...but I am not sure how much I can do with the thing yet...I better practice while I can tomorrow. I’ve been slackin’ off for 2 days only and already I feel so lazy it’s unsettling!”

Vanessa gazed through her window, admiring the crescent moon in the night skies.

“Ah...I wonder if Sabby and Sakuya are doin’ fine now...”

-------------------------------------------------

It’s almost 11:20 PM at Tochigi Prefecture, but little did the late time bothered the ever-cheery and positive-thinking Hatori when she is driving inside the black Nissan 180SX, which is now running at the speed of 120 km/h on a long straight across the Irohazaka pass where the dry yellow leaves scattered everywhere on the edge of the tarmac. Hatori was keeping the car centered to avoid running over the leaves and risk spinning the car out on any cornering movements she may have done on reflex.

“Mhmm...if this thing can do this much under such treacherous conditions, Saburo would have nothing to worry about. Good thing I keep Princess’s power boost in check.” Hatori thought, holding the steering wheel tight accordingly on the car’s motion. As the 180 continued to head towards the one-way downhill route, the first hairpin is coming soon and she is riding at the speed of 150 km/h at this point. “Welp, time to test the brakes...”

Hatori let go off the accel pedal and slammed on the brakes while shifted the gears accordingly from 4th gear, to 3rd and finally back to 2nd, all the way to the first gear at the pace of a mere 50 km/h at the sharp hairpin while the 180 hugged the inner lane without feeling forced at the execution of the grip-oriented maneuver. Once the exit of that hairpin hits, she hits on the gas again and the speed rise back up to 80 km/h with a sharp acceleration while she shifted the gears smoothly back to 3rd gear once she starts kicking the boost at 2nd. The car was responding very well with a strong pick up on cornering force recovery from that sharp 180 degree turn.

“Alright, that should do it...good thing I had the suspension arms readjusted for this occasion. Saburo would have no problem getting used to this setting, that’s for sure.” Hatori thought again, and soon the next hairpin is coming in fast. She repeated her braking method again and with another successful out-in-out maneuvering, the 180SX cleared the second hairpin without much problems. The tires were responding well in her favor, even though they weren’t really racing high-grip tires. “Assuming Saburo isn’t going all grip-oriented driving, this should be enough for the tires set’s durability.”

After she is done clearing the hairpin and head for the next one at the pass, she noticed that a pair of dim red lights were in front of the front mirror. And without much effort needed, Hatori immediately recognized the car’s gray color and the shape of that machine. It was a Mazda RX-7 FC3S with a GT-rear wing attached on the back. It also has a muffler tip installed on each side of the bottom of the car. The glasses-wearing driver can even notice the rotary car is shooting flames out on the exhaust tips as the car braked hard on tackling the third hairpin.

“Huh, not everyday you meet an FC with an impressive GT wing like that...” Hatori commended in her head, while she braked along at the entry of the hairpin and blitzed through the sharp curve while remained centered on the lining. Between the 180SX and the gray FC, they are now 60 meters apart from each other. “Well, I don’t have time to play with you for tonight, Mr. FC. So...do me a solid and move aside when I pass you, kay?”

Hatori knew she was only making wishful thinking as it would be obvious that it won’t be that easy as she can clearly tell the driver inside the FC is gunning full throttle and not letting up at all. As the battle began, The 180SX continued to chase after the FC not long before they noticed that the fourth hairpin is already on its way. Hatori and the FC driver braked hard on their ends and stabilized themselves on tackling the sharp curve as both cars hugged the lane properly without any unnecessary wheelspin on the exit. Hatori can tell this driver is clearly no amateur.

“Welp, tonight’s gonnaa be a long-ass night, probably...”

-------------------------------------------------

It was already late past midnight at the Kanagawa Prefecture. And near Hakone Nanamagari’s parking area, there was a ramen stand along with a few drivers and bikers gathered around the place to chow down for some midnight snacks and suck in a little bit of sake with some casual chatter about anything free. And soon, a blue colored Impreza GDB-A made its way to a vacant spot and parked on it as the driver walks out of the car after shutting of the engine.

He was a man in his twenties in terms of appearance, and seemed to be properly dressed on the rather cool night on the mountain pass with leather jacket and jeans. He noticed a female, stood in front of a blood red Z. Even from a distance, he could easily make out the fact that the girl had golden hair, and that the Z had been in numerous accidents. The gold hair did not give off a warm radiance, instead, it glistened with killer intent. The wild hair, done up in a ponytail, along with the battle scarred Z, they gave off an impression that could only be described as being overwhelmingly hostile.

In front of the girl, he noticed that there were some young men, seemingly oblivious to the dangerous air around her, who seemed to be mocking her. Deciding that he wanted no part in the impending massacre of the racers, he swiftly took a seat at the ramen stand.

“Hmm...Could she be...” The man suspected as he walked towards the ramen stand still. The shop owner welcomed him and asked him for what he wants. He simply replied. “Just sake for now...no need for any ramen tonight. Actually, no...make me a ramen too. I am kinda hungry all of a sudden.”

“Alright!”

As the man drank on the alcoholic drink by gulps, he remembered something he just heard from the BBS forums that he stumbled upon when he surfed the internet once. It was about that one particular individual that he probably wouldn’t forget anytime soon after hearing about it. Even though the alcohol is getting into his head slowly, he still managed to muster his consciousness in thinking of the person.

The constant news of this female being a notorious driver were beaten into his head as he simply couldn’t shake off the thought of thinking about her bad enough to start a monologue of some sort.

“Kagerou Kouka...
Hot-headed and stubborn like a man...
Nay, far more hot-headed than any guy I’ve met in my life...
But she’s a girl...!
Drives like a pissed off teenage boy...but she’s a girl...
She seems attractive for a tomboy but....
She’s a girl...hmm...”

After a few minutes of constant sake drinking and eating, the man is finally finished with his moment on the stand. His face is now slightly red with the effect of intoxication from the sake, he finally had enough of hanging around the place and needs to get back home as soon as possible.

Without thinking twice, he slapped down the payment for the food and drink, and began to walk away from the spot, while his balance on his body seemed wobbly due to the alcohol. He managed to pull himself together still, and stumbled back to his Impreza, and drove off from the mountain peak and head all the way back to the highway road at the city.

- つづく -

…well, it's been a while.

And if you're still hanging on even after all that bad english and excessively long sentences that last well into tomorrow…you're a masochist and need to see a doctor.

Anyway, thank you to those who are still here and have weathered the bombardment of aforementioned bad english, things will be getting…less wordy, very soon.

Hopefully, it'll be good enough a change to redeem itself.

(Now how do I segue into the actual review? Oh, there I go.)

Another (relatively) laidback chapter here, but the continued focus on set up works just fine at this point of the story. And I have to say: nice job with how you introduced the members of the Varied Interest Club. You ended up relying purely on dialogue for it - a method that a good number of writers tend to stumble through - and integrated it very naturally into the story with how the cafe conversation changes to that topic and with the flow of the dialogue itself. The characters only say what makes sense for the situation and never more than what the situation calls for. Why they're discussing each of those members in such detail in the first place is given a believable reason, and what does get said is both relevant to the topic and stuff that both of them don't already know - they only say things they have an actual reason to say. I know I've seen at least one story that fudged this up and had characters say/think things they had no reason to purely for the sake of telling things to the audience, but this scene avoided that pitfall quite well, and that made for believable dialogue that still gets a decent amount of information across. And speaking of information - what is said does a good job of showing that there'll be more plot threads in the horizon to look forward to, especially combined with how the story's handled things so far.
And Vanessa checking the BBS to find an upcoming team battle and more posts on the red Z made for smoothly integrated exposition too.

And speaking of that Z; yep, the driver of that Z has definitely fully entered the picture. Something is about to go down, and it won't be long before it happens.

So you can chalk that up as yet another nicely written chapter. Good work again, as usual.
I do hope boob jokes aren't something that's going to be frequent from now on though. I guess I'd say I had a neutral reaction to the ones in this chapter, but so many other stories have done gags of this sort to death over the years that I don't really find them funny unless they're done really well or the author gets lucky. But maybe that's just me.
Hopefully that didn't sound too negative. Again, good stuff, and I know I'm waiting to see what goes on with that Z and the other newly introduced character (as well as other things). Do update.

And that Cappuccino on Akina certainly has my attention too. Same for that FC Hatori just ran into on Iroha.

This post has been edited by Meteor on Aug 7 2014, 02:22 AM

Another fast update time~

Code 11: Childish Killer

The race continued back in Irohazaka. The gray FC and black 180SX swiftly pass through the shrine at the third checkpoint, and both continued to accelerate down the fairly long straight, before another sharp hairpin. The FC was still leading, with Hatori chasing 20 meters behind on the wheel. She knew that if she keeps this up, it’s only a matter of time before the driver breaks under pressure, leaving her with an opening to overtake.

“You can’t keep this up forever, Mr. FC! Just move aside.” Hatori thought with a smile. She was confident that her chance was just moments away. The 180SX continued applying more pressure, getting even closer to the FC.

“Shit...that driver behind me is too good...!” The man thought. He tightened his grip on the wheel, but the 180SX at this point very close to touching the FC’s bumper, was making it increasingly hard to focus. As they reach to the hairpin, Hatori braked early in preparation for an out-in-out maneuver, taking care to keep a certain distance from the FC. Her aim was to pressure her opponent, not to force him off the road. The FC braked a bit late, the pressure was clearly affecting his focus. He steered as hard as possible to keep the car from understeering into the guardrail.

“Dammit, that guy in the 180 is playing games with me...! I don’t have time for this, shit!” The FC driver knew he was being toyed with, as he felt Hatori backed off when she was close to a pass. He was sweating like hell already, and he can feel there’s an invisible force behind him that is sharp as knives, and it’s stabbing at him relentlessly.

As they continue to battle it out on the straights before another hairpin arrives again, Hatori decided to go on the offensive and tried to overtake on the outer lane. She carried enough speed to sneak into an opening, forcing the FC on the inner lane. The 180SX had slipped through by almost half a car’s length, making it impossible for the FC driver to block her.

“Oh crap..!!” The FC driver noticed the rapidly accelerating 180SX, although he was far too late. The 180 is not neck to neck with his rotary amchine, with next corner fast approaching. The FC was completely pinned on the inner land and he couldn’t do anything other than brake early, so as to not risk an accident. Hatori took advantage of this to set up properly for overtaking the FC.

As they passed the hairpin’s apex side by side, the 180SX managed to finally slip ahead of the FC. And with a simple throttle control, Hatori overtook the Mazda. In the split second the cars were side by side, she took the opportunity to see the driver behind the FC.

“Let’s see...who’s behind the wheel?” Hatori stared and saw the driver appear to be a black-haired spectacles-wearing man in his late twenties, and he seemed to be wearing a red-colored long-sleeved shirt. “Hmm, well at least you’re decent looking.”

Once the car passed the FC, Hatori braked hard again as the next hairpin is arriving shortly. The driver of the FC followed suite, finding the idea that he was forced to give up his lead position hard to swallow. Hatori then floored it on the acceleration pedal and with the cornering momentum she recovered, she managed to increase the distance between the two cars.

“A...woman?” The man uttered in his mind, knowing that he has seen the face of the driver behind the 180SX. “Guess I misjudged this driver...I thought I could at least go easy by outrunning her later by letting up a bit, but I was sorely mistaken...and I guess I’ll have to pay for it by now...”

Soon after, another hairpin arrives again before them. Hatori and the FC driver blitzed through the curve, then linking to another as it gets tighter and sharper until the bottom opened up to a longer straight, then a gentle curve before another sharp hairpin. It was a series of endless hairpins they have to go through until the last checkpoint. As the two cars managed to tackle the last hairpin, they passed the checkpoint with Hatori leading by 30 meters by now.

“Hmm, just a bit more and I can call it a night...” Hatori hummed inside her head, driving the 180SX hard enough to maintain a speed of 100 km/h at the short straight section of the last checkpoint before another S-shaped hairpin arrives. “Better luck next time, Mr. FC~”

As she braked hard and tackled on the S shaped hairpin, the 180SX hugged the inner lane, just missing the ideal line by a couple of centimeters due to tire wear showing. The FC managed to come out of the S-hairpin too, but by the time he reached the exit, Hatori’s Nissan was already 50 meters apart, and the gap just increase slowly. The driver knew the battle is as good as lost, and just before Hatori decides to accelerate all the way and left him in dust, he flashed the hazard lights, immediately caught the red-eyed female’s attention when she was taking a last peek at him.

“Hmm....should I leave him or at least check on the guy?” Hatori thought as she slows down. There was still quite a distance to the actual finish line, but the results were already clear at this point. Hatori then reached to a decision after no more than five seconds of thought. “Humph, ah well, not like I’ve anything to lose and I am not really in a hurry here anyways...”

Hatori stopped the 180SX and parked it to the road. As she got out from the car and walked back to where the gray FC stopped, she saw the driver checking on the tires along with the hood popped open, as if to check on the heat of the engine too. Hatori then saw the man’s face and greeted him openly.

“Yo, nice driving out there, mister. Having a bit of trouble there?” she began.

“Well, it’s nothing big...just a little worn out tires on the front.” The man replied with a defeated smile, being a good sport after losing the race. “You were pretty good out there, miss....uh...”

“Just call me Hatori. Hatori Fuuyama, and you’re...?”

“I am Kodaka Shino...” The man replied. “I was testing out this car actually...and uh, I sort of gotten too excited and wanted to rush it to the bottom of the mountain to see if I can set a record time here in Irohazaka. Turns out I overplayed a bit with the acceleration.”

“No kidding, man...” Hatori chuckled. “I see you wobbling around pretty badly there at the end...but I am sure that’s just you being soft and panicking a bit. So, I take it that you’re not a local here?”

“Haha, not really...I am from Gunma prefecture actually.” Kodaka replied, now on to his feet as he checks on the engine. Hatori joined along and she can feel the heat from the 13B engine. “Oh...good thing the engine’s still okay. I was afraid that it might overheat since I’ve been running here for a long time...”

“Yeah...good thing you didn’t have a heavy foot there, buddy.” Hatori agreed. “So...I take it that you’re finding challengers on Tochigi?”

“Actually, I am looking for an old acquaintance.” Kodaka uttered, his eyes seemed a bit concerned. “He has been out there causing a lot of buzz lately and I am planning to keep the guy in check, just in case.”

“Oh, really...mind telling me the guy’s name?”

“Well, his name is Matsu Koreshi.”

“...!”

The name immediately put a shock on Hatori’s heart, even though her face is concealing it well in terms of reaction. She doesn’t seem as startled as she looked on the outside. “Do tell me more about this guy, would you be so kind?”

“Er....sure. I guess...”

------------------------------------------------------

4th of July. It was another clear Thursday and Saburo was up late because apparently he found no reason to be awake on early morning other than having to do some simple house chores like cleaning up his own house and wash a few clothes. He has already done all that yesterday, so he planned to rest up more on this day. But it is already 10:46 AM, and he nearly missed breakfast today when he was up by 10:20. He was able to at least make some food for himself before he started reading today’s newspaper and check on the TV for any interesting documentary shows worth watching.

“Huh...nothing much to watch today...” Saburo sighed, tossing today’s newspaper aside on the couch before turning the television off. Saburo then thought it’s probably going to be another boring day today, seeing as he has nothing much to do other than checking up on his email or read the forums on usual routines. That’s when fate lends a hand to lighten up the rather boring start of his day. His cellphone rang and when he picks it up, it was from a friend he knew well enough.

“Yes, Sakuya?” Saburo called out the name of the one that just contacted him.

“Saburo, your car is ready. You can come to my garage anytime.” Sakuya’s voice can be heard. She sounds rather confident, much to Saburo’s expectation. “Four-eyes is there too. So, if you have anything else to discuss, let’s take it there. We’ll be waiting.”

“Got it.” Saburo hangs up the phone and grabbed the house keys with his wallet before heading off outside and locked his front gate. Saburo can only tell that progress is finally getting a lot more encouraging after a few days of void. “At least I won’t be doing nothing for now...”

Inside Sakuya’s garage, there were numerous tools placed on the desks around the open space where there was a familiar black 180SX sitting idle while Hatori and Sakuya were finalizing their checks on the machine through a laptop. Hatori was rather pleased with the result, so to say. Sakuya didn’t rush her examination on the car’s interior just to make sure that everything is good to go.

“Four-eyes. Tell me that we’re good.” Sakuya began.

“Of course, princess.” Hatori smiled, typing away on the laptop as she saves up the data of the car’s dyno settings and other matters that she may need for further references in future. “If everything is A-OK under that guy’s terms, we can start at Irohazaka tonight with no problems at all. The only problem would be how many people show up on that night.”

“They will come.” Sakuya assured, her arms crossed after she is done brushing her red bangs aside on her ponytail-styled hair. “Tochigi Prefecture has been on a buzz lately ever since the whole small incident with Makoto Souichiro. They have to be on a higher alert if they are serious about defending the area’s so-called pride.”

“Pride...heh...quite a subjective thing to say for us drivers, don’t you think?” Hatori said teasingly. “Once the foreign racers come racing in our area’s mountains, the Defense Line’s radar go absolutely bonkers about defending things that they don’t even technically own.”

“Things were much simpler back then, I’ll give you that.” Sakuya agreed, as she took off her black jacket and tied it around her waist before she leaned on a table where it was cleared of tools at least. “The whole idea of the Defense Line protecting the locals from foreigners sounds pretty moronic. The road was meant to be used for everyone...and why would some local drivers consider foreign drivers as hostile is beyond me.”

“Yep, driving is supposed to be having a good time in general.” Hatori leaned back and stretched her arms a bit after she is done putting her laptop aside. That’s when she hears footsteps. Her deep red eyes noticed the shadow of a walking figure entering the open garage and both she and Sakuya immediately recognize the person behind the sunlight radiating. “Oh, you’re here. Good timing!”

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“Hey.” Saburo greeted them as casual as he always has been, walking towards Hatori’s direction while Sakuya got off from the desk and got closer to him too. “So, it’s done?”

“Yeah, the car turned out to respond a lot better than I expected.” Hatori smiled confidently as she hands the car keys to Saburo. “I am actually kinda surprised that your 180SX is capable of going beyond 160 km/h when I was rolling at Irohazaka. That’s as fast as you can go during the long straight section at the above of the first checkpoint. And I am glad that the suspensions I choose worked beautifully.”

“Hey, I am responsible for installing them, ya know.” Sakuya growled with annoyance, thinking that Hatori may be hogging all the glory.

“Hey, relax princess! I won’t steal his affection...much.” Hatori giggled mischievously.

“Humph...”

“...I suppose the specs were as Sakuya told me via the email back then?” Saburo asked, ignoring the two friends quarreling against each other on petty matters.

“Mostly yes.”

“Mostly...?” Saburo prompted.

“Well, you see...we kinda pumped the car’s power a bit higher than expected. We got a 380 instead of 350.” Hatori chuckled. In the world of racing at mountains, an additional 30 horsepower could mean a lot in uphill battle where traction and power counts most, other than the driver’s skills and driving sense. “Sakuya kinda went hard on the boost increase so...I miscalculated the numbers a bit.”

“Hmm, not a problem then...I can handle it.” Saburo said in confirmation. “Thanks, by the way...you two...”

“Anything for you, Prince.” Hatori winked.

“You can always count me in on whatever tune-ups you want.” Sakuya added. “Say...are we good now?”

“...”

Saburo examined the car and see if the internals have been tampered with. Needless to say, everything was still there, and Saburo was at least glad that the regular seats weren’t changed into racing type yet.

“I’ll take this out for a ride on Irohazaka first.” Saburo suggested. “If everything is good for me, then we can start tonight on Irohazaka.”

“Why not Happogahara first?” Hatori asked.

“It won’t matter. Happogahara has more drivers. It’ll be tedious to race through them all.” Saburo reasoned with a sigh. “I’d rather we take it slowly and steady with the progress starting on Irohazaka.”

“I agree.” Sakuya added. “With the drivers on high alert ever since Saburo shut Souichiro down, going there would be like walking into a lion’s den. Irohazaka is a lot safer and it’s retarded to go and lose our efforts by entering a hot-spot at this time. The machine is still far from being perfect. We will slowly tune the car as progress goes on.”

“Well, now that is out of the way, let’s talk about something else.” Hatori suggested.

“Like what?” Sakuya prompted again.

“Have you guys been keeping up with the forums lately?”

“Duh, that’s what we do most of the time. What about it.”

“Well, it’s about the hype going on at Kanagawa area.”

“...”

Saburo knew Hatori would bring that up. Knowing her, if this doesn’t pique her interest, nothing will.

“It’s that Z, isn’t it?” Sakuya uttered the very topic that Hatori might be referring to. And it’s without a doubt, going to bother them a bit at least.

“Yep. Just a heads up though...since we’re actually still several tens of kilometers away from each other.” Hatori said, her eyes turned towards the outside of the door as the birds flew pass the trees near the garage. “That Z has caused quite a lot of trouble that time, he or she’s been going on a fierce rampage ever since a few days ago. From the looks of it, this driver’s been doing it for quite a long time before.”

“The Gunsai Touge Incident. Ring any bells?” Saburo asked.

“...that one where a rumored female driver in a Z33 wrecked several drivers out of commission during a showdown?” Sakuya tries to reassure. She too heard of the tale before and frankly enough, it doesn’t sit well with her. “I am not too sold on that story, but from the old clips it sure seems plausible and convincing enough...”

“I am skeptical in believing it too actually.” Saburo said with a cold look on his face. “But judging from the reaction from the victims of this driver in Kanagawa, it might have some shady dots connected somehow. If it turns out to be the same girl that is responsible for the mess caused back in Gunsai Touge, then we would have to at least devise a failsafe plan somehow as a countermeasure. No telling how much damage this psycho can do under one night. And the last thing I want would be dealing with someone who has a taste for blood, and I sure as hell don’t want to see you two getting hurt because of that shit stain.”

“Hey, I know where your concern comes from, no worries.” Hatori assured. “Besides, it’s not like we’re really going there to race this crazy kid anyway. If we ever somehow need to move to Kanagawa, we’ll make preparations for it.”

“It better be that way...but if we have to face her, we will have to get ready by then...” Sakuya is still a bit skeptical for Hatori being so light-hearted about everything, but she has trust in Hatori nonetheless.

“Hmm....” Saburo has nothing to comment at this point, he knew that worrying about it now won’t do him any good. All he has to do now is focus on the ‘mission’ at hand and forget about everything else that is irrelevant.

“Oh, and have you heard of the accident that happened last night on C1 area?” Hatori asked again.

“The drunkard that nearly hit the divider at Ginza with the Impreza?” Sakuya uttered again, which hits another mark on what Hatori is talking about.

“Yep.” Hatori nodded. “The driver is said to be near around Kanagawa before and he might have some connection with this...Z driver we’re on a look out for. But let’s not bother him for now, guy seemed to be sleeping peacefully at Tokyo’s Hospital ever since that nasty accident. His Impreza is out of commission, poor guy...he must’ve been really drunk that time.”

“Don’t need to feel too sorry for him.” Saburo uttered. “He reap what he sow. But I am at least glad he made it out rather than becoming another casualty of drunk driving. We’ll talk about him on another time. For now, let’s rest up a bit before we head to Irohazaka on 12PM.”

“Alright, then we’re settled.” Hatori smiled as she stretched her arms a bit again before heading to the inner part of the garage and grabbed a bottle of water and drink up to quench her thirst. “By the way...Princess...”

“What?” Sakuya responded, curious about Hatori’s sudden change of motion.

“...About Matsu Koreshi...” Hatori uttered the name and it immediately struck a bit of shock on Sakuya’s face. “...you know where the guy is right now?”

“The hell if I know!!”

------------------------------------------------------

It was almost 9 PM at the mountain of Nagao pass, and the street was packed with drivers practicing on how to drift across the mountains with some spectators actually laughing at the amateurs for spinning out on the attempts. But aside from all these light-hearted moments, little do these young and enthusiastic drivers realize that there is a rather bloodthirsty driver with an enormous killing aura waiting for action. Someone with a familiar but dangerous-looking face is out there seeking for another victim and she is not entirely pleased with what she sees as there were no opponents around her parking area.

She brushed her blonde hair and squinted her crimson eyes a few times before she examined the roads again. Nothing.

“DAMMIT!” She blurted out in frustration. “Ugh...this is so frustratingly BORING! Where has everyone gone to?! Nobody’s out there and I am sitting here looking like a complete idiot waiting for a bloody ghost!”

As she continued to throw her tantrum while tugging her own hair, she hears an engine noise echoing through the path that leads the way to this parking area. The girl immediately wiped the scowl off her own face as she knew that the answer to her ‘prayer’ for an opponent is right before her. It is a gunmetal gray S13 which is equipped with a GT wing, sitting on a set of custom wheels. However, what caught the girl’s eyes was that it has a sticker emblazoned on the side of the door, which is shaped like a black eagle. That can only mean one thing to her --

This driver has a team behind him. If she scores against him, she could very well take on the entire team. The very thought of that spread a wide smile on her face. The driver got out, and with a quick look at the pairing in front of him, confirmed his suspicions. Blood red Z33. Female driver. Extremely hostile aura. There was no doubtm this was the person he was after.

“I’ve found you...” The S13 driver thought grudgingly. “...you bloody psycho road bully.” He then parked the S13 right there on the spot while the crimson-eyed girl waited patiently for him to come out of the car. He was a man in his twenties and has black, spiky hair.

The blonde-haired female examined the person before she glared back at the driver with her fangs hidden on her grin. Although the Silvia driver tried to do the same, he was evidently scared. He even show signs of quivering slightly as the girl can clearly see his clenched fists shaking. The girl immediately took advantage of his fear, taking the initiative to start the conversation.

“Hello there.” She spoke in a surprisingly innocent voice. Her gentle greeting concealed a rapidly building desire to wreak havoc that was welling up inside her.

“You...must be that girl that is responsible for all the mess here a few days ago, right?” The S13 driver asked, while trying to contain his vengeful fury.

“Oh, what are you talking about? I am just a beautiful little girl waiting on the side of the road.” The girl replied sarcastically.

“Don’t play stupid with me, you sniveling witch...I know you must be the one who’s driving that Z that’s painted scarlet with every road warriors’ blood...” As the Silvia driver spoke, he felt a repulsive disgust looking at the girl in front of him. Even if she managed to hide the killing intent, the driver can still sense the staggering and heavy air around her.

“So, I take it that those little clowns are your buddies?” The girl asked again, still speaking in an innocent tone. However, her wide smile is now slightly exposed her fangs.

“I don’t know them...but clearly what you’ve done is still resentful and not to mention insulting to us drivers with a heart.”

“Don’t get all weepy on me, Mr. White knight in shiny armor. They were the ones who started it. I am just going along with the game of tag they plan to play on while I was off minding my own business practicing here.” She responded halfheartedly. She had no intention of settling this verbally. If anything, her words just served to stir the flame inside the S13 driver’s heart, trying to elicit an emotional response from him.

“Why you...!”

“You wanna fight about it?” The girl cracked her knuckles as she flexed her fingers. He then noticed, this girl, her nails were almost sharp as claws. She was more than just a delicate girl, if given a chance, he might really be in a world of hurt if he made any sudden movements on her. Even her glare is more than enough to instigate fear in him.

“You do realize...that there’s only one way to prove our beliefs on the road, right?” The driver insisted, trying to pacify her enough to avoid physical contact. “Fighting isn’t going to change anything so let’s at least be civil here...”

“Hah! HAHAHAHA!!” The girl laughed out loud on hearing his proposal. “Nice one, a driver here who would bare his fangs towards a little girl wants to talk about being civil all of a sudden! But forgetting that, why bother coming out here to battle a little girl? Oh...of course...you want to salvage your pathetic friends’ pride, right? You want to put me into a wall like I did to them, right? You want...revenge, right?”

As soon as she finished talking, her glare turned cold. Her wide grin turned into a sadistic smile. She narrowed her eyes, focusing on the prey in front of her...

“D-Damn right I am! Because of you, I...no we...” The driver stuttered in fear. The girl’s eyes looking straight into his, exuding an unwavering hostility. Even so, he forced himself to continue. He knew that if he didn’t keep his cool, the hunter could very well end up being the hunted. “We whom wished to drive for the sake of improving on these streets were terrorized because of your irresponsible actions!! It is because of you that not a single soul here was able to drive in peace! I won’t let this absurd tyranny go on!”

“Oh, you’re making this sound like it’s such a big deal!”

“Of course it is!!” The driver yelled in desperation. “Someone like you; who trample on the efforts of us warriors whom strive for success; won’t understand the struggle we need to go through to get recognition! What gives you the right to simply trample on our pride and credibility?! Huh?! We, as drivers of Kanagawa, are known as the masters of mountains by others, being the very best drivers out of all prefectures! You have no right to steal that from us with your own uncontrollable madness for wreaking havoc!! Who do you think you are to prey on us?!”

“And who gives you the right to run your mouth on what is right and wrong?”

“...!”

“I do what I want, and if you’ve a problem we can fight it out or duel it out, it’s your call!” The red-eyed girl declared, her voice now dead serious. Cold sweat begins to run down the man’s forehead. Clearly the poetic excuses as well as abstract perspective of what made him a proud racer had little to no effect in trying to dissuade her.

“H-Heh...you think you’re so tough just because you drove that Z which you use as a torture tool...but once I beat you on the downhill battle tonight, you’ll realize just how heavy the consequences are when you look down upon us drivers who strive to race for a greater cause, to fight for something worth of our lives and blood!” The driver declared still, with a nervous smile. “Just you wait, don’t think you’re going to get a fair fight from me...I am going to make sure that your reign of terror ends tonight, right here on the spot...!”

“Oh yeah, tell me something I don’t know! Blood is red, anything else? And do your worst; bring ALL your guys at me for all I care!”

“I will NOT allow a repeat of the horrors back in Gunsai Touge, you hear me?!” These words immediately struck a nerve in the girl’s head. Her expression became unreadable for split second. The S13 driver had managed to instigate a response, but the results could only be described as the worst possible outcome.

“Alright...now THAT...” her smile contorted into a crooked sneer. Her eyes widened with anger, slowly revealing her maniacal nature. “...ISN’T A VERY NICE THING TO SAY...!!”

“...!!” The sudden mood swing had caught the driver off guard; he quickly backed off away from her, his fear for her reaching new heights.

“You just HAVE to remind me of that....don’t you?!” The girl continued to yell at the S13 driver when he was still quaking with fear...

“DON’T YOU?!”

“O-Of course I have to...Kagerou Kouka...” The driver finally uttered the name of the female. “I know of all the bad things you’ve done back then......you monster...!”

“Monster, freak, witch...I get that a lot, but what does that make you who would stand in front of me then, acting high and mighty, mister?” Kagerou asked in return, once again startling the driver who dared to try weighing her down with past sins. “And after all that I’ve done you just call me ‘bad’? I guess I’ll have to do a whole...LOT WORSE to meet up to your criteria then...”

“G-get away from me, you freak! Don’t think this will be the end...!! If you even think about catching me, hell’s gonna wait for you! I’ll make sure all people know of what you’ve done! Try and stop me if you can!!” The S13 driver backed off as Kagerou slowly walked towards him. He got into the Silvia and quickly hit on the reverse gear to drive out from the parking area and drove off to the downhill route of Nagao pass. As Kagerou watched the Nissan disappear, she grabbed hold of her left sideburn and clenches it with a sick smile.

“Oh, I won’t be stopping you...I’ll just obliterate you...bones and all.”

The driver was thoroughly shaken by that encounter. But at the same time, he was furious with himself for failing to race her. His whole body was quivering. He tried to compose himself for long enough to drive while attempting to make a phone call. As the S13 continued to drive towards the beginning line from the peak of Nagao, he finally managed to get a response from his contact.

“Hey, guys...it’s me.” The driver panted. “There’s been...a change in plans, alright. I found her. I couldn’t force her to race me, but I think I just made her mad...so don’t let your guard down and don’t mess up the timing. We’ll flank that bitch together!

“We gotcha man.” The contact said calmly. “It’s time to find out if this crazy bitch can take on a bunch of bulldozers with just a puny Nissan Fairlady. We’ll make sure she suffers badly before we take her out of commission and let her know how it feels like to be humiliated!”

“Let’s do it then! It’s so on now!” The driver then hung up his phone and focused on the throttle as he floors it all the way and accelerated ahead without thinking about anything else. “It’s time for this demonic Z33 horse shit to get cleaned and wiped from this place for good; I’ll beat you to a pulp, Kagerou Kouka!! Come at me, you crazy dog!”

As the S13 continued to blast through the path, another engine sound was heard. An ominous engine noted from the blood-red Z33 suddenly rushed out from the abyss, moments after the S13 had passed. It then drifted all the way towards the starting line with shocking control for its savage speed.

The road’s width made it easy for the S13 to navigate with very high speed, but the driver didn’t dare challenge the grip limit. He played it safe with a grip oriented maneuver for the first corner.

Moments after the S13 passed, the crimson Z emerged, with its deafening engine sound shattering the silence like an unleashed wild animal on the hunt. Despite the insane speed, Kagerou wasn’t fazed in the slightest. To her, the only thing that mattered was satisfying the overwhelming urge to hunt down the car escaping from her.

The Z33 tore through the first corner sideways, the sped and angle it carried seemed almost uncontrollable. And yet surprisingly, Kagerou managed to stay in control by adjusting the acceleration pedal with her rather light foot. By the time she cleared that wide curve with an out-out maneuver; she dealt a massive blow to the S13 driver’s morale. The tiny specks of lights on his car’s rear mirror suddenly expanded into a deathly glow, hinting his end is coming near.

“Oh shit, oh shit...!!” The driver panicked. “She’s getting close...! That...FREAK!” Instincts of survival kicked in as he floors on the acceleration pedal as if his life depended on it. The S13 accelerated to 120 km/h, just barely opening a gap between the two cars. Little did he realize that the next wide turn is coming up. The S13 hurtled in too fast and he was forced to brake hard. In this situaton, such a move was a death sentence. “Oh crap, please don’t!!”

“Tag, you’re it!” Kagerou declared with an almost maniacal smile as she rushed towards the rear bumper of the S13. Not paying any heed to the car in front on declaring her to slow down, she timed her braking to let as much force as possible be shifted to the front, just moments from impact.

The red Z33 slammed the S13 as soon as it starts to make a right turn. The S13 was a sitting duck. Kagerou scored a clean hit, the force of a wrecking ball slammed straight towards the rear bumper of the S13. The right side brake lights were immediately smashed, and the rear bumper now dangled about on one side, spraying sparks as it was dragged across the tarmac.

“AAAAHHHHH!!” The disaster struck as hard as it could. The S13’s right rear was lifted by the heavy impact. With no grip on the rear tires, the S13 is now wall-riding on the guardrails of the outer lane. Kagerou backed off to witness the S13 slowly chip off its bodywork, bit by bit while he driver desperately tried to recover.

“Ahahahahahahaha!!!” Kagerou cackled childishly at the pleasure of the carnage she just made on that one move. The S13 finally managed to recover from that horrible wall-grind, but by the time it went back on the road, the left side of the car was badly damaged. The left body was scratched and dented almost beyond recognition, with the lens of the braking lights on the left side also shattered by the repeated impacts, leaving a huge trail of debris on the outer lane of that road.

“GOD DAMN YOU!! YOU FREAK!!” The driver cursed. He was not hurt, but he was badly shaken. He can only imagine the world of pain he is going to get into if this race goes on any longer. Pride of Kanagawa racers? Teach her a lesson? Revenge? None of those mattered anymore. All he was concerned with now was escaping with the remains of his car before Kagerou reduces his machine into a pile of junk.

“Come on now, you asked for this, and I responded in kind, mister!” Kagerou laughed. “If you don’t try any harder, you WILL die!”

As they raced through the narrowing sections pass the first checkpoint, the S13 driver regained his composure by trying to avoid going the inner lane too much. The gutters were completely exposed on that zone. If he’s not careful enough, he will fall with the front tires stuck inside, a dangerous enough situation normally. The consequences of an accident with Kagerou behind him made him feel sick at the thought.

Kagerou backed off slightly, mimicking the S13’s line. She could’ve easily closed the distance, but it was far more entertaining to stalk her prey, waiting for a chance to strike even harder. As the S13 cleared the twisty paths of the section, taking care to stay clear off the gutters, the hairpin was coming right in front of him. It was a very sharp and steep one at that. He was traveling over 100km/h, and if he didn’t slow down, he would overshoot the turning point for that curve.

He shifted the Silvia to the outer lane, preparing for an out-in-out maneuver, until...

“...”

Kagerou took full advantage of the S13’s preparation maneuver. She accelerated hard, positioning her car side by side with the Silvia, forcing it to stay on the outer lane. Inside the Z, she was smiling evilly, trying to predict what the panicking driver will do with the S13 now being pinned for the second time. The Z33’s front bumper actually nudged the damaged left body of the S13 and it’s slowly forcing it to the opposite direction of the hairpin, putting the driver in a gravely dangerous position.

“AH, YOU BLOODY PSYCHO!!” The driver shrieked in fear, with his instincts acting up again, he stomped on the brakes. His speed rapidly fell and almost below 40 km/h. The Z33 shot pass, and blitzed through the hairpin with no problems at all. Shortly after as the S13 tries to tackle the hairpin too, the Z33 braked for a moment and waited for the S13 to catch up.

The S13 driver didn’t care what she was trying to do, as the only thing mattered now was that he needed to escape from Nagao as soon as possible before his car was totaled. The Z33 moved aside to the outer lane, giving the S13 a chance to take its lead back. There was a strong urge deep down in the Silvia driver’s heart to attack Kagerou’s Z out of spite and revenge.

“You’re the lowest type of scum, Kagerou Kouka!” The driver thought, his blood boiling as he stomps on the accelerator. He didn’t try to pass Kagerou. In fact, he wasn’t planning to; he’s going to go through her, returning the favor. “If I am to go down, I am taking YOU DOWN WITH ME!! DIE, YOU BASTARD!!!”

The S13 charged blindly towards the slowing Z. However, he kept increasing his speed recklessly with no regards paid to course’s rhythm. Just ahead of them were a series of curves. From the moment his will give way to his hatred, his fate was sealed.

“Nope.” Kagerou chirped with a wide sneer. The Z shifted out of the way, letting the S13 hurtle by...into the outer guardrail. Kagerou paid the Silvia no mind as she passed him and danced through the follow corners like nothing had happened.

“OH SHIT!! NOOOO!!” The S13 driver tries to steer back on the correct direction, but it was already too late. And even if he managed to turn the car in time, the car went into a nasty slide, but it couldn’t maintain the angle enough to avoid the inevitable. The front bumper slammed straight into the outer guardrail, and the left headlight was completely smashed inside with the front hood bent.

The impact shook the driver badly, but he still hasn’t given up on his hands holding the steering wheel. He couldn’t even think straight anymore as he wildly turns the car as much as he can, hoping that it may somehow avoid the car from rubbing the guardrail any further. But that was another fatal mistake. The S13 spun for a short moment. And by the time the car spins back to the guardrail again, its rear impacts on an arm supporting it. The rear bumper made a loud clanking noise and with a deafening snap, it spins the car again on another direction forcing it out of control and finally the car slowly dropped its front right tires on the exposed gutter. With a loud thud, the driver felt like he sank halfway.

That can only mean that he has fallen into the course hazard that most drivers always want to avoid. He quickly unfastened his seatbelts and crawled out of his car on the passenger’s side as he watched his steps carefully to make sure that he didn’t stop on any sharp debris. He can hear hissing from his car, and much to his horror, the S13 is now dangling about with the front hood smashed in partially and the car seem to show signs of oil leak.

The driver fell weak down on his knees as his eyes could not believe the carnage that was unfold before his eyes, all due to his own recklessness.

“Ah, that’s it? What a letdown, I was expecting more than just a few sparks!” Kagerou thought. Glacing at the rear mirror,she didn’t see any signs of the S13. She then concentrated on driving again as she nailed it through the second checkpoint.

The Z33 continued blitzing through the curves, while little did the driver realize, that her night is far from over. There were two idling Toyota Hi-Aces at the side of the road with their headlights shut off, waiting for the red Nissan to go pass them. Kagerou noticed them, but she pays them no heed. The Hi-Aces also have regular like rims on the wheels, there was nothing remotely suspicious about them.

“Found the target, go go go!!” The double Hi-Aces immediately took off Z passed. The engine’s response, thanks to a supercharger, was immediate. The tires hooked up and launched them after Kagerou without leaving a hint of tire smoke behind.

“Hey, where’s he?” The first Hi-Ace asked as he adjusted his hands-free device.

“No idea! The last time I tried contacting him, the line’s been completely cut off! That sick freak must’ve done something to the S13!”

“It’s payback time then!” The drivers were determined to stop Kagerou’s rampage on its tracks. They relentlessly chased after her, taking advantage of every moment possible to close the gap.

Back to the Z33, Kagerou was maneuvering through the apex in an out-in-out style. She managed to clear the corner with minila speed loss. That’s also when she noticed there’s multiple specks of lights appearing on the rear. She can hear lots of strange engine sounds. Something like a silenced whirring high-pitched noise along...

“Superchargers?” Kagerou immediately recognized the noise made by the vehicles behind. She decelerates to see what was coming her way. By the time the headlights came close enough for her to make out of the machines, she was surprised. “That’s...Hi-Aces?! TWO OF THEM!”

“We gotcha now, you little red freak!” One of the Hi-Ace’s drivers uttered with a nervous smile, waiting to prey on the little Nissan in front of him. “I don’t know what you’ve done to our friend, but no matter! Your terror ends tonight!”

The two Hi-Aces accelerated hard to catch up and position themselves close enough to her to shunt her off. The Z had navigated through the more gentle curves on the section of second checkpoint, and Kagerou slowly held back on the throttle to give the double van formation a chance to try something on her.

By this point, the Hi-Aces had moved to both sides of the Z. They were so close to sandwiching Kagerou that it was quite a scary sight to behold. However, Kagerou didn’t seem to show any signs of panic, as if she had expected them to try something like this.

“We got her now! Sandwich the shit out of that little bug!!” The driver gave the signal to sandwich the Nissan as both Hi-Aces proceed to steer their way straight towards impacting the red Z.

“And....NOPE!” Kagerou braked hard, even using her handbrake, stopping the car as quickly as possible. The two big vans missed the Z by an inch, instead colliding with each other, breaking their synchrony. With Kagerou being the chaser once again, she is out for another hunt. This time on larger preys...

“Gah! Watch it, dumbass!” The driver on the right Hi-Ace yelled. Both Hi-Aces swerved violently, trying to regain control.

“YOU watch it, man! I almost had her back there!”

“Quiet! We’re in front now! Block her!” Quickly regaining their composure, the two vans regrouped and focused on blocking the Z33. Kagerou was slowing down as well. She knew exactly what they’re trying to do, and had already planned her next move.

Approaching the next hairpin, all three cars braked hard. The Hi-Aces shuffled closer together, hoping to use their combined width to block off the Z’s route. As they were slowly nearing the apex, Kagerou shifted her focus on the van’s brake lights, watching them light up.

Her expression calmed for a split second...however, she had sealed their fates.

She let out a sinister smile.

Both Hi-Aces tried their best to avoid touching one another, their clumsy movements leaving an opening on the inside. However, Kagerou doesn’t attack yet. As the vans brake, she sees the opportunity she’s been waiting for. She accelerates hard, trying to gain as much momentum as she can before braking.

The force gained from that short burst of acceleration wasn’t much, but it’s more than enough to force the Hi-Ace blocking the inner lane into the other Hi-Ace. Both vans were now damaged but the Hi-Ace on the inside was worst off. Not only had it been shunted hard at the back, but the front headlights were smashed from the impact with the other van.

“Oh shit!” Both drivers were caught off guard by this sudden attack. Any driver with a regard for safety wouldn’t even dare to try something as dangerous as this, and clearly they have misjudged the Z driver’s sense of hostility.

They quickly readjusted their positions. The next series of corners had exposed gutters, so the battered vans played it safe and kept to the outside of the road. Although they were still blocking the Z, it didn’t matter to Kagerou anymore. They were blindly playing into her hands, and the thought split her grin even wider.

“Just as I thought...” Kagerou thought lightheartedly, her sick smile widening as she spoke. “Nagao really is the best feeding ground ever! I don’t think I’ll ever need to worry about going ‘hungry’ tonight! Come on, let’s play a little longer, you fat pigs!!”

The wider and gentler section of the second checkpoint is coming up, and from here on the road is wide enough for almost three SUVs to go side by side. Kagerou however, didn’t pay the terrain any mind and maintained a good distance from the two Hi-Aces.

As the first wide hairpin curve arrives on the left side, the double HiAces immediately decelerate and tried to block the Z33 again. Neither noticed that the Z33 was already 20 meters behind, and the driver is not showing any signs of making a move at all. The Z attacked the inner Hi-Ace again. This time, she shows the Hi-Ace no mercy, determined to spin it.

“Oh crap!!” The attacked driver quickly counter steered back to stabilize itself while the Z33 continued pushing against the van’s rear. Just as the Hi-Ace was showing signs of spinning, she quickly backed off. The van, still counter steering, snapped the other way, almost too close to spinning out. “Damn that freak! She’s playing games with us! SON OF A BASTARD!!”

“At this rate we’re gonna turn into that freak’s punching bag...what to do now, man?”

“I don’t know! W-We have to try and reduce her fighting spirit by forcing her off the road somehow!!”

“But she doesn’t seem to even try and overtake us! How the hell are we gonna do that?!”

“Hell if I know!!”

As they continued arguing, Kagerou was already preparing for another attack. It won’t be long before the drivers ahead are dealt the final blow. The next curve is coming up and this one is a wide and gentle right turn, one that can be taken by moderately high speed nonetheless.

“Dammit, forget about blocking her! Just outrun her!!” No longer caring about assaulting the Z33 behind them, the drivers immediately floored on the accelerator, trying to run away from the Z33. As soon as they did that, the crimson-eyed girl knew the moment she waited for had come.

“My favorite part of the game!” Kagerou chuckled childishly. As the long straight was exposed before her and the drivers running away, beyond the guardrails there towards the wide hairpin was a fairly steep ravine...there’s no telling how high that side of the mountain pass was and the Mount Fuji can easily be seen there on the shrine’s parking spot even on night. Putting aside the scenery however, Kagerou’s aim seemed to be clear enough as she immediately declares...

“SUDDEN DEATH.”

Kagerou’s eyes widened. She can almost feel the rampaging desire to destroy overflowing inside her. Embracing this barely contained excitement, she stomped on the acceleration pedal. The engine howled in fury, catapulting the Z33 into its prey.

The wide hairpin is approaching. The Hi-Aces, no longer in formation, were setting up for the corner. In contrast to the slowing vans, the Z33 rushes in with a very fast acceleration, and then...it happened.

The Z adjusted its line, aiming for the very same Hi-Ace that she had rammed before. She braked slightly at the last moment, shifting all weight to the front just as they collide. She scored a direct hit, the impact was so strong that it nearly lifted one of the rear tires off the ground. Kagerou continued to push the van’s rear, forcing it sideways and onto the outer lane. The van was on the verge of spinning out, but she wasn’t done yet. She backed off slightly, before dealing the HI-Ace the final blow.

"OH... SHIT!!"

The driver cursed, trying hard to recover, but to no avail as the car smashed its rear to the guardrail. The impact was so great it bent the guardrail all the way in. The huge vehicle skidded off and started running on the gravel near the shrine, though somehow it managed not to plow into it. Despite the near miss, the HiAce's driver still cannot gain control of the car.

Not thinking about anything else other his own life, the driver stomped on the brakes in hopes of stopping the van. Right when it was about to stop, it almost fell into the ravine with the guardrail still holding the van. The driver pulled the e-brake to force it into a halt.

The van later on has finally came into a complete standstill, just inches away from falling into the ravine. The driver kept panting heavily and is trying hard to catch his breath.

“Whoa, bro! You alright there?” His phone chirped on the earphone that he is still wearing. The driver panted a few more times before he finally composed himself and found his voice again.

“...I, I am okay there...but my van’s thrashed...I nearly fell to my own death, but thanks to the guardrail I managed to survive...god dammit! I am so not doing this shit again...!” The driver panted in fear, clearly his spirit is completely exhausted and he is no longer in condition to get back in action. “You’re on your own, man...I am sorry, but I can’t go on anymore...the car’s wasted. Hell, I am wasted...”

“Tch, damn that crazy bitch!!” The other driver of HiAce cursed as he cuts off his phone finally and tossed the hand-free device to the passenger seat. He has to focus on escaping, but given the Z’s overwhelming power advantage, it was a tall order. After losing one member, he knew it wasn’t long before it was his turn, and the Z33 behind him will definitely stop at nothing to see him go down.

“You’re the laaaaaast!” Kagerou hummed. “So what are you gonna do now?”

The Z33 is now right behind the HiAce as they cross the third checkpoint and on to the next wide hairpin. There is a long straight before that, so if the driver wats to escape he has to do it now. However, there was a more pressing issue. The Z33 has disappeared from his rear mirror. Even the headlights have vanished into thin air. He tried to take a peek on the mirror to see if the Z33 is close.

“...!!?!?”

Nothing. The driver cannot see the red Z anywhere. The surroundings have become suspiciously silent as well. He couldn’t hear the roar of the Z’s engine anywhere. The Z33 has disappeared from his rear completely.

“W-what the hell...? What the hell is this? What the bloody shit just happened?!! Where is she...?!” The sudden disappearance was so disorientating, it was causing more hell for him than when she was pinning him down. Everything had become so silent, that for a brief moment, he actually considered the possibility of her giving up the chase.

“Dammit....dammit! Where the hell are you!!” His mind couldn’t focus anymore as little did he realize that the hairpin is already closing in to him on the front. “SHIT!!”

He braked hard, trying to steer away from the outer lane. On the wide apex of that hairpin, there were no guardrails, instead there were three handrails placed there. The Hi-Ace managed to hug the tarmac and steer accordingly, but just when the driver sighed in relief that he might overshoot the curve...

He hears an engine noise approaching, at very fast rate...

Just as he glanced at his rear mirror, the nightmarish vehicle reappeared. The red Z33 charged straight into the inside line and shoved the HiAce on the outside. This move threw van off the road, straight into the handrails..

“OH FUUUUUC--”

The man couldn’t even finish his curse since the divebomb knocked the HiAce off balance. All control was lost as the van started giving up traction in the middle of the apex.

The HiAce straightens up a bit but understeers into the handrails. Beyond that point was nothing but sand and grass. The van fell into it, flipped to its side, and plowed into quite a handful of trees before finally parked into an abandoned house. The driver was knocked out for a few minutes but despite being able to survive the crash, the same cannot be said for his van...

Back to the Z33, Kagerou managed to clear the hairpin with ease. She did a 360 degree spin before she stops and gets out. She walked towards a guardrail, peering at the woods to see any traces of the carnage. She couldn’t see much, but what was certain was that the Hi-Ace was definitely silenced. Kagerou can only smile at her ‘accomplishments’ tonight as she stretched her arm for a bit while cracking her fists and flexed her fingers.

“Ahh........now that was satisfying.” Kagerou turned her eyes back to the crimson Z33, there were dents and scratches on the bumper, and the indicators were shattered. It is clear taht she has reinforced the body of the car, but since she rammed three cars in one go tonight, the damage is still evident. But it didn’t matter as Kagerou was more than satisfied for one night already. She patted on the front hood of the Z33.“Let’s play another time, eh?”

Higher up, at the side of the road, a small gallery watched as Kagerou drove away from the wreckage. Within this small group of racers, a female stood, isolated from the watching crowd. She was an unfamiliar face to the locals, which normally shouldn't have been a problem. But there was an unapproachable air to this unknown girl. From just a quick glance, there were too many things that stood out about her. She was clad in elegant, almost gothic clothing, completely unfit for racing. Also, even in the dark, the locals could see that she was ghostly pale. But the most surprising thing by far was that this frail looking female was the driver of what looked like a heavily tuned Skyline GT-R. The black R34 gave off an air of purposefulness, yet its driver seemed like anything but suited to driving it.

Ignoring the locals, who were clearly questioning her credentials, she turned her gaze away from the course and towards the sky.

“To think such wild creatures exist on this stage...I guess I’ll have to watch myself from now on...or things could get...unsightly even for me...hmm...”

- つづく -

This post has been edited by Rin on Aug 7 2014, 02:31 AM

Well…I'd take some credit for that thank you very much. (nahh)

I don't know what to feel, you have the strangest ways of complimenting people. All I can say is that…err, boob jokes aren't gonna pop up all too often, I think. We don't show our perverseness that openly and through such cliché means. No, we step it up a lot, take it to a new level of pervertedness~!

Thank you again for the feedback though, it's nice someone pays attention to the actual writing, normally the art is the center of attention. Hopefully you'll see it evolve a bit more in the coming few chapters.

As for this chapter being laid back? It's the "sort your crap out" break we gave Rin, so yeah, verrryyyy sloowwww as we attempt to buy time and reorganise the story on the fly.

EDIT: GDI SCREW U RIN ETC. ETC. YOU WERE POSTING?! (all other manners of rage here)

This post has been edited by Onboy on Aug 7 2014, 02:42 AM

I do don't I? I still don't have a full handle on this whole "giving detailed feedback" thing.

Yeah, ended up taking a while again.

So that Matsu guy clearly wasn't just a one-time character. I wonder what's up between him and Kodaka, as well as what's going to happen now that the FC driver's on the lookout for him. Nice job with another believable race scene here.
That Impreza driver crashing sure wasn't much of a surprise. Way to go Impreza guy. Good thing it wasn't too serious and he didn't end up taking anyone else out.
And finally, there's the Z33 driver showing up again; and this time getting a lot more focus as the action centers on her for the rest of the chapter. All the info about her in the previous chapters set up this moment pretty smoothly, and what this chapter shows ends up building on all that quite well. First, the dialogue between her and the challenger in the S13 managed to get a pretty good atmosphere going. A few of the lines (particular the S13 driver's) may have sounded a little clumsier than intended, but the subtler aspects of it (the different tones of voice used, the body language of the characters, etc.) successfully added quite some weight to the scene anyway, and the basic ideas behind what was being said ended up being good enough to work well with those small details and keep things interesting, as well as convincing enough as a whole. The mental games being played didn't do a bad job of keeping one's attention, and there's definitely a little more going on with Kagerou Kouka than just her having an interest in ramming the fuck out of everyone. What that little more is is another interesting question.

And then it goes to the "race" and the chapter kicks it into high gear. Keeping the mood from just before going, it sets up a clear sense of danger and then proves that sense to be correct. The way the S13 got chased down and toyed around with did not fail in execution; that whole scene managed the tension it was going for.
And after that comes the two HiAces, which don't end up doing too well either. And now, a moment while I get to another one of those technical issues I think too much about.

That only really works for parking a car sideways. A fully locked wheel just doesn't have that much grip to do anything with (including braking), so the use of the handbrake would actually increase her stopping distance here (on account of the locked rear tires sliding a lot and not being able to slow the car down as efficiently). Also, the car would also get into a spin very easily trying to slow down like this. The only situation I'd expect braking and e-braking at the same time to be beneficial in would be when you're going just slightly too fast into a corner, need to slow down and turn at the same time, and can't get the car to turn under braking alone.

Aside from that though, no other glaring technical issues here - things have always managed to stay within a certain amount of believability in these driving scenes so far. But there is another moment here that I'm also getting to, because I had trouble properly picturing it in my head.

I'm a little confused as to how exactly this crash plays out honestly. I understand as far as the van bending the guardrail in, but then it still keeps moving with decent speed? Is everything after bending the guardrail in happening in very little time, or is the van actually somehow covering more of the corner's distance and bending in even more of the guardrail while still being relatively fast and not just breaking through completely?
Is this something I wouldn't be as confused about if I just knew what that particular corner actually looked like?

Anyway, I understood the other HiAce's crash just fine.

So now we finally get to see what this Z33 driver is actually like, and she's definitely a threat, and despite the sort of character she is, not appearing to have a one-dimensional personality either. This is ultimately another good chapter. The pacing's still nice, everything's still set up pretty well, the writing still shows a nice amount of skill at times, the plot still hasn't slowed down, and I'm still wanting to know what happens next.

(Apologies as to this review being short and clearly rushed. It's late, I've got classes to get to in the morning, I really need to sleep, and I didn't want to keep you waiting too long. Hopefully I'll find more time for this next time.)

Actually this is more than I can ask for a feedback, Meteor. So thanks a bunch! xD

And well...I think I know what you mean now on the issue of that braking thing. Again, I was hiccuping in the physics back here so...I guess this issue pointing is unavoidable But I'll keep in mind next time. Same goes for the crash on that HiAce -.-;

Well...anyway, time for another update here.

Code 12: Rose-Killing Carmillia

1:03 AM. The full moon tonight was dyed scarlet. The air around the mountain Nagao was heavy with the fear and tension of the gathered crowds. The news of what happened had spread like wildfire. Everyone was talking about it, some of the locals’ faces had almost lost all colour, as if they saw a ghost.

“Man... did you hear? There’s that red Z again...! That freak just claimed 3 more cars tonight!”

“Yeah... I saw it too. That was scary! How could anyone drive like that?!”

“Jeez, this is just ridiculous...! So the rumors about that Z are real after all!”

Many people have grown afraid of driving on the road now, after witnessing the carnage that occurred to the unfortunate victims. Even though none of them had seen the Z driver in person, the risk of being the next target, especially after witnessing it first hand, was enough to deter the locals from practicing anymore.

There were faces of fear everywhere. The gallery of proud racers had mostly been reduced to whimpering children, whispering fearfully between each other. They were all urging each other to leave, but any motivation to do so was crushed by the overwhelming fear of being caught up in the Z's rampage. There is only one soul that seemed to have a completely different point of view.

“...There’s still some time left.” The pale-skinned female muttered to herself, glancing at a small pocket watch. Despite feeling mild fear towards the Z, her slight expression was drowned out by the unsettled locals. Her eyes were fixed on the black R34. Running her cold fingers on the front hood gently, she gracefully leaned her body onto the car’s door, resting her head on the roof. “Let’s have one more run before we go home...”

She was still able to smile in silence, even though there was nothing pleasing about what she witnessed. She entered the GT-R and started to drive off uphill.

“Hey, someone’s heading uphill...!” Someone noticed the black R34 going off.

“Is he insane? That Z may come after him!”

“No, wait...! I just heard, the Z’s arrived at the bottom. He might be safe if his place is somewhere on the peak...hopefully.”

“Well, let’s just pray that the red Z had its fill for one night...”

Somewhere at the bottom of the Nagao mountain was a relatively quiet spot. There was next to no one around. A familiar engine sound echoed through the silent woods, the sound of its idling reverberated heavily in the empty parking lot.

It was the red Z33.

The Fairlady arrived at a vacant spot and shut off its engine before the driver got out from the car. Kagerou twirled her side ponytail casually, looking around the parking lot to examine if there were anyone else out there other than herself, just to make sure. Her red eyes were calm, but they were more than ready to set sight on something worth ‘hunting’ if she sees it.

“Ya know, Z...” She began talking to her machine, her eyes locked on the front hood’s emblem. “Maybe we should move on and forget about beating up those who sees us as road bullies.”

“Oh! Really? I thought you would never -- “ She switched her tone to a slightly lower level to pretend as if she’s talking like a man.

“HAH! You wish!” Kagerou reverted to her usual voice. She then hopped on the hood and slept on it. “You and I are destined to wreak havoc for LIFE!” After a moment of silence, Kagerou’s expression turned calm again, her eyes staring at the red moon.

“I just wish there was someone out there who can really give me a good time...most of the guys just got too scared around me... they’re no fun at all... hmm... I am not really all that tired yet... ah well! Let’s do one more hill climb run and call it a day!” Kagerou hopped up, jumped back into the car, and started the engine. She turns the wheel and floors the throttle, drifting the Z out from the parking area, back on the open road again.

“I got a good feeling that I might shave some time off again this run!” Kagerou smiled, and blasted away back to the mountain pass of Nagao once more.

The breeze on Nagao remained strangely chilling due to the heavy air around the R34 when it blasted through the third checkpoint area at the curves. The female driving the GT-R was controlling the car’s movements with extraordinary grace. She fixed her red eyes onto the road ahead, the GT-R demanding her absolute concentration in the corners.

The crowds could only watch as the car blasted past them and listen to the quickly fading roars from the engine.

“Whoa, that’s a black R34 GTR, right?”

“That’s one serious car, dude!”

“But doesn't he even know that there’s the red freak's still roaming about here at Nagao?”

“Eh, don’t worry, the red Z headed to the bottom already. No way that freak will come back for seconds. I think the driver already had its fill for one whole night, if anything else.”

As the spectators continued to chatter away, speculating what the R34’s fate would be, a good few seconds have passed before the last person way back at the third checkpoint noticed another engine sound approaching.

“There’s another car... Who’s that I wonder...?” A young female uttered. The sound approaching was all too familiar to those gathered at Nagao tonight.

“It’s...!”

It was the red Fairlady Z33. The car zipped past the young girl with such force that the rush of wind nearly flipped her skirt up. The crimson Z charged at the curves without hesitation, mounting its unstoppable charge uphill.

“Oh no! It’s the Z! IT’S BACK!” One of the male audiences yelled, immediately sending the crowds into chaos. Like a never-ending nightmare, the Z returns -- haunting them once more with a second coming.

“Shit, is she gonna go after that R34?”

“SHE? You don’t mean --”

“Yeah, that rumored Z33 driver is a girl.. .but she definitely lives up to her reputation.”

“Geez, I sure hope whoever is driving the R34 know what’s coming. There’s no telling what type of hell awaits him or her...”

The black R34 was speeding across the long straight section of the third checkpoint. At the end of the straight, a wide hairpin awaits.

She braked gently; trail braking while controlling the nose-heavy GT-R’s weight transfer. Rather than steering forcefully, she used the unsettled rear to her advantage, minimizing steering angle. Her entry speed far exceeded the locals’ expectation, but she managed to exit the corner unscathed, shocking the people watching from the field.

“Such footwork! And he’s using an R34 to do it, of all things!”

“Whoever’s driving that must be one o the top stringers representing Nagao here...!”

“Wait a sec! Another one’s coming from behind!”

The red Z33 announced its arrival seconds later, at a speed rivaling the GT-R’s. The crowds could only watch in awe at the Z’s relentless acceleration, right up to the corner. Kagerou braked hard, forcing the Z to the inner lane. She managed to clear the hairpin with an extreme out-in-out approach, clipping the apex perfectly and barely grazing the guardrails.

“Holy crap...! She just plowed through the curve at that speed without hitting anything!”

“That kid is just plain crazy. How can anyone drive like that!”

“Is that really a girl driving? Damn, not even my boyfriend drives that dangerously during a real battle...”

The R34 blitzed the next hairpin, using the same technique from before. Moments later, the ominous Z33 appeared from the other side, and it is closing the gap.

“Hmm? Was that a taillamp that just flashed by on the hairpin there?” Kagerou thought suspiciously. She definitely saw a red light in the distance. “Looks like we may have some DESSERT after all! Heh!”

The Z33 rushed towards the next hairpin before Kagerou stomped on the brakes again. She quickly dispatched with another corner, when her eyes saw something that puts a big smile on her face.

She saw the black R34.

The Z33 immediately starts the chase without even flashing its hazard lights. The R34 is now 40 meters ahead of her, and she’s closing on it fast. The driver inside the GTR can almost sense the presence behind her, and it’s anything but pleasant.

“This feeling...” There was no doubt. She doesn’t even need to look at the rear mirror to know who is chasing her. “So you’ve chosen to come after me...but I won’t be your next victim.”

The next curve was appearing in front of her, which will lead to the second checkpoint. The R34 was positioned on the outer lane. The GTR driver didn’t press on the brake pedals, simply lifting off the accelerator to slow down. She clipped the apex and effortlessly cleared the corner.

The Z33 followed quickly with almost the same speed and drifted through the curve on the outer lane. By the time she crossed the second checkpoint, she had closed the gap to 30 meters. Beyond the next hairpin was another long straight, a chance for the R34 to regain some ground.

“...She’s good. I am playing a bit too safe here...” The R34 driver thought. “If I won’t do something now, she will definitely sink her fangs into me.”

Both drivers were closing in on the hairpin, with the Z33 is already 20 meters behind. Kagerou can sense that the driver inside the R34 is definitely going to try something at this point. However...

“Is it me? Or is the guy in R34 not responding at all?” Kagerou thought with an eyebrow raised. “Come on! SHOW SOME REACTION!”

There were no response at all, despite all the effort Kagerou gave in applying pressure. The driver inside the R34 was cold as ice, and her pace remained unshaken. The gap was slowly increasing again, if only just.

The R34 braked as soon as the hairpin arrived and the car clipped on the apex precisely without drama. Kagerou followed closely from behind, with her Z33 sliding all the way on the outer lane. Her sheer speed sent chills down the spines of those watching.

Exiting the corner, the Z33 was now right behind the R34. Neither of the drivers seemed to show any sign of panic, but the lack of a reaction from the GT-R is slowly frustrating Kagerou.

“Dammit, why isn’t he scared or anything?!” Kagerou is fuming now. “I don’t know who the hell you are but I am starting to get angry!!”

The two powerful Nissans continued to battle it out as they headed towards the high speed section of the second checkpoint. They zip past the gentle curves before heading towards the exposed gutter sections with sharper corners. Both cars took caution to avoid the gutters, but with the R34 blocking the outer lane with its long body, it’s impossible for the Z33 to overtake on these sections.

“Tch, stupid GTR ass!” Kagerou cursed. At this point, she couldn’t do anything, even applying pressure to the opponent didn’t seem effective. Right now, she isn’t even sure if the driver on the R34 is human or not. However, the answer to that question would be made clear in the next corner.

With the next sharp hairpin arriving, the R34 braked hard, followed closely by the Z33. Kagerou's patience had run dry. As the GT-R moved toward inner lane, the driver suddenly felt a strange disorientation. Her body felt paralyzed, her arms refused to turn the wheel. Kagerou took immediate action, charging down the R34's inside and ramming its rear as they turned into the corner.

“You won’t take me out so easily...” The driver kept her cool, swiftly correcting the oversteer. The gap between the two cars had closed even further, leaving no time to think about why she zoned out.

The Z33, satisfied with dealing a blow to the GT-R, backed off slightly in preparation for a second attack. “Heh, gotcha now! But this is just the start...” Kagerou smirked. Even though the driver’s expression couldn’t be seen from the shunt, she is certain that will definitely rile the driver’s emotion up.

Both cars crossed through a few more curves before they cross the final first checkpoint that will lead to the peak’s goal line. Once they hit the last checkpoint at the peak, both sides took it as a sign to race with no holds barred.

Both cars blitzed through the low-speed sections of the twisty curves, neither one of them holding back. Kagerou knew the same attack wouldn’t work again, thus she only concentrated on finding openings to break the ice.

The R34's cornering was becoming sluggish. Kagerou's Z was closing the gap every time the GT-R braked, a situation not helped by the increasing understeer from the nose-heavy 4WD.

“This is bad...I am losing concentration...”

Her forehead is now sweating heavily, her pale skin flushed. The resistance from the steering felt heavier than ever, and her heavy clothing being constricting in this situation didn’t help matters either. However, she was barely able to prevent the Z33 from making any passing moves. On seeing the gap increase again, she let her guard down, thinking that she had the race in the bag. Suddenly…

Something unthinkable, yet familiar happened.

The Z33 disappeared from the rear once again in the darkness of the streets.

The driver was shocked. Kagerou's disappearance confused her. In her current state though, she can't afford to waste time thinking about it. She soon arrived at the last hairpin and threw caution to the wind.

The girl braked hard to 50 km/h and neatly clipped the apex. She cannot tell if the Z33 has also cleared the hairpin, nor the exact distance between the two cars, but she is certain that the Z is close. Close enough for its engine to be within earshot.

While battling half-blind, she forgets about everything else and finally crosses though the last curve.

The two cars reached the last corner of the slow section. Fatigue is clearly crippling the GT-R driver. She can't focus and is getting even more disoriented. The final straightaway was just beyond this corner. She can feel the relief well up inside her aching body. In her desperation, she accidentally activated the GT-R's scramble boost at corner exit. She misshifts, unable to keep up with the power, and the R34 sends flames out of its exhaust. This didn't worry her though, as from this point on, there were just fast, wide roads perfect for the GT-R.

The R34 shot off like an arrow, paying no regards to the Z33's whereabouts. The car continued to blitz the curves at a very high speed, missing the guardrails by a few centimeters.

But despite the almost perfect control on high-speed maneuvers, her stamina simply couldn’t keep up with the intensity of racing such an opponent.

“...no, not like this!”

Her reactions could no longer keep up. She missed yet another shift, losing a lot of speed in the process. Fearing the Z may still be lingering in behind her, she activated the scramble boost again for the duration of the straight, ignoring the rapidly rising temperature gauges.

As the R34 passed the goal, the driver mustered up all her strength to brake. Her breathing was heavy and there was no strength left in her. She could barely turn the car around before she passed out of fatigue.

The Z33 finally appeared from the darkness, crossing the goal in second place stopping to the left side of the R34. Kagerou got out from the Z33 and she is not pleased at all with what just happened.

She walked towards the R34 to see who the driver was and she noticed it’s a female, who is now unconscious inside the driver’s seat.

“Tch...! To be beaten by you...dammit!” Kagerou wanted to smash the car’s window, but she managed to suppress her own frustration and rage. She threw the fist down and turned back, biting her lips. “I won’t forget this humiliation, whoever you are...! Consider this your lucky win. Humph!”

Kagerou hopped back to the Z33 and did a donut before she drove off into the abyss once again, leaving the R34 with the driver alone at the peak of Nagao pass.

The time was now 2:09 AM at a clock shown on the street post of Nagao’s parking area, and nobody seem to notice the idling R34 yet. That’s when finally there is another car arriving to the peak. It was a pearl white Toyota GT86. The driver noticed the R34 was sitting there idling with its engine still turned on.

The driver immediately got out from the 86 and rushed towards the R34 to see if someone is inside there, and quite frankly, the driver was shocked. Her amber eyes widened as she sees the GTR driver unconscious and sweating as if she’s in a sauna. Her extravagant clothes were soaked to the point of clinging to her, revealing her slight, frail proportions. Her face was still flushed, wearing an expression of slight discomfort. Thankfully the doors weren’t locked and thus, the 86 driver opened the door and carried her out.

“Whoa, are you okay?” The driver asked, try to see if she is still able to speak. The driver of the GT86 was a female wearing casual T-shirt with long black pants with short brownish orange hair. She quickly took out a handkerchief and wipe off the sweat off the GTR driver’s forehead and brows. “Oh gosh, your whole body is sweaty...! Tch...”

She looked around to see if there’s anyone else around the area. Confirming that no one was around, she unbuttons the GT-R driver’s clothes, hoping the breeze on the mountain would cool her off.

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The Skyline driver was completely soaked with her own sweat and the 86 driver isn’t too happy to see her in such state either. She quickly wiped the sweat off the driver’s chest while keeping her inner garments on for obvious reasons.

The GT-R driver finally came around, groaning slightly before collapsing back into the seat. She could barely understand what was happening, leave alone resist the person in front of her.

“Can you talk? What’s your name?” She asked calmly, almost sounding like a doctor treating her patient.

“...Ru...ka...” She responded in a tired and barely audible voice.

“Don’t worry. I’ll try and get you back on your feet...”

------------------------------------------

It’s 5th of July, and it was another beautiful yet lively night at Saitama prefecture’s Sadamine pass. With only one day left before the time attack event itself, every young driver that took part in the event devoted all their time to practicing as hard as they could. Even those that didn’t participate were eager to watch them showing off their skills in shaving off times.

There were inaudible chattering and murmur everywhere, and Vanessa felt as if she’s entered in a night parade of some sort with lots of celebration going on. There were even fireworks around some area that were supervised by a few staffs that were preparing on the time attack event at the announcement stage of Driver’s Utopia community.

“Ah, this place is almost too good to be true!” Vanessa spread her arms open at the sight of the beautiful pyro at the starry skies. “Everyone is having so much fun! How I wish the Ring’ can have fireworks like these all the time!”

Vanessa brushes her brown hair aside while examining a group of young team of racers chatting about. Even though she’s not really close, she can hear their conversation.

“Hey, have you heard? Vanessa Anderrson is going to have a tough time dealing with Adachi tomorrow!”

“You don’t say? She really doesn’t take foreigners lightly, does she?”

“Well, we do have our pride as locals here to defend after all. It’s only natural anyone would get mad if a foreigner out of nowhere came and steal our thunder. I know this may sound a bit contradicting, but I am putting my money on Vanessa Anderrson.”

“Huh? You serious?”

“Really? The gaijin? How is she any better?”

“Well, for starters, she beaten one of Adachi’s members back in Shoumaru, remember?”

“...Oh, right...”

“That alone should tell you just how much potential she has with that Renault Megane she’s driving...seriously, I never thought anyone is capable of driving an import car that good on such a difficult mountain pass. And of all places, Shoumaru.”

“Well, let’s just hope we can witness some kick-ass racing tomorrow. We may not be participants, but we can definitely learn something from these two facing off.”

Hearing their conversation, Vanessa can only take a deep breath and look back at her Renault Megane R26R.

“Well, here’s hoping everything will go well. Even though I know that will never happen around here.” Vanessa thought, scratching her head. “With the hype reaching such heights, I can’t help but feel there’s an invisible burden on me.”

Vanessa sighed. She was alone, and the fact that not even Mayumi and Ayase were there to see her practice tonight didn’t help relieve the tension.

“I wonder what Aoi’s doing tonight...must be off taking photographs as usual. I wonder if she’ll ever participate...oh wait, she’s a staff member…so no chances of that happening… Bleh, I am thinking way too much here.”

Vanessa then grabbed her own iPhone and check on the time. It’s 9:21 PM.

“Well, there’s still time for a couple more practice rounds...” She walks back to the green Renault but just right when she was about to open the door, a thought suddenly held her back on a pause. “Wait a sec! I almost forgot!!”

She went to the voice-mail application and touched it for activation.

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“Sabby, this is me, Vanessa! How are you doing lately! You will come and visit me on the event day, no? If not, it’s okay too! You can watch me live on a net stream I think! Just head to the Driver’s Utopia website and hit LIVE stream or whatever on their page. I am pretty sure they set up an online stream for the event.

Also, if you’re racing tonight, could you let me know the list of the guys I need to look out on the prefectures? I’ve been hearing a lot about this... Defense Line thingy, and I don’t have a clue what it really is. Sounds like a group of racers to me so...drop me any details whenever you’re free, kay?

I wish you the best of luck, Sabby!! Give my regards to Sakuya too!”

And with that, she hit the send button and the voice mail was delivered to Saburo.

“Well, now I am ready to practice!” Vanessa kept the iPhone inside her pocket and hopped inside the R26R. Once she started the engine, some of the people noticed.

“Hey, is that?!”

“Holy crap, it’s her!”

“That’s her alright, no doubt!”

“Only she will drive that green Renault. Guess she’s out to practice again...Adachi better watch out. She’s got quite an opponent to deal with this time...”

While the crowd watched the Megane blitz through the roads from the peak of Sadamine, a group of familiar female faces glared grudgingly at the car. One of them being Adachi.

“Gloat all you want, Vanessa...the next day will be your last as a racer here...”

------------------------------------------

It’s 9:33 PM at Irohazaka, and the atmosphere is completely different compared to Saitama. However, this wasn’t a real issue for Saburo as the less people bother him, the better. He was holding his cellphone, standing behind his 180SX and listening to a voice-mail.

“...Give my regards to Sakuya too!” And with a small click sound, the voice-mail ends. It was from Vanessa. Saburo grimaced after hearing her cheery voice.

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“Guess everyone’s got their hands full for the time being...and Hatori is late as usual.” Saburo thought, his eyes switched to examining the parking area near the gas station to see if there’s any racers gathering yet. And much to his displeasure, most of them were just small timers and not a single person that mattered to his eyes was found yet.

“...and Sakuya is off somewhere I don’t give two shits about...” Saburo couldn’t even be bothered to look for his red-haired friend. Not long after his grumbling, he hears a familiar engine noise from down the road. A speck of light appears from the dark and came towards him. It was the purple JZA70 Supra with Tochigi’s tag. The driver got out and brushed her light brown hair aside, her red eyes locked on to his.

“...You’re 10 minutes late, Hatori.”

“9 minutes and 46 seconds actually, and I am soooo sorry, Prince. Double-check on stuffs, it’s what I do.” Hatori clearly doesn’t sound sorry at all, but Saburo could care less and just let it slide. “So, where’s Princess?”

“Off somewhere, she’ll be back soon. There’s not a single creep here that is worth looking out for yet...I thought they would gather here every night around this time for usual practice...”

“Well, people change. Defense Line drivers are still only human, you can’t expect them to follow the same routine everyday like machines.” Hatori chuckled.

“Of course not...”

It wasn’t long before Sakuya made it back from whenever she came from. She noticed Saburo was talking with Hatori there and she immediately rushed towards them.

“...Took you long enough, Sakuya.”

“Sup, Princess.”

“Four-Eyes. You’re late again.”

“I know. My bad. Anyway...the Defense Line racers aren’t showing up yet...so maybe we should practice for one round?”

“Don’t be stupid. This is a one-way road.” Saburo declined. “I certainly don’t feel like wasting gas on going a way round back from the other side of Nikko just to get back on the peak again.”

“Well, you’ve a point there...so what now?” Hatori asked, scratching her head with a carefree smirk.

“I say we--” before Sakuya could finish, she heard a familiar engine noise. It was the distinct sound of a rotary, a powerful one at that. “...well, look who’s here.”

“Ah, here come your angels now, Prince!” Hatori guide Saburo’s eyes to the approaching headlights as the crowd starts cheering, as if someone famous or popular has arrived in their presence. It was a light blue RX-8 with a GT-wing.

“It’s her! The Gripping Maiden!”

“Mikami!! Mikami!! Mikami!!”

The crowd cheered the name of the driver as she got out from the rotary machine. She brushed her short-black hime-styled hair and turned her eyes on the crowd before she waved casually with a smile.

“Thank you for the support, everyone.” She greeted, sending the crowd wild again. Only Saburo and the other two girls remained silent.

“...Setsuna Mikami, right?” Saburo asked.

“Yep. One of the Defense Liners. She’s all yours.” Hatori chuckled while patting on Saburo’s shoulder. Sakuya on the other hand just looked at the driver’s face with a slight scowl.

“You sure you can handle her by yourself?”

“...Positive.” Saburo walks towards Setsuna and the crowd starts to turn their attention to him instead. The crowd was left in silence as he approached.

“...Umm, may I know who you are?”

“My name is not important.” Saburo replied without stuttering, clearly not in the mood for being social. “You’re Setsuna Mikami, right? Would you like to battle me tonight?”

“Whoa whoa whoa, wait a second, dude!” a member of the crowd suddenly interrupts. “You can’t just jump in and race her just cause you think you’re hot shit! You haven’t even introduced yourself properly! Have you any idea who you’re talking to?”

“Yes, now exercise your right to shut the hell up. Nobody made the rules here.”

Hearing that immediately enrages him, but Sakuya stopped his raised fist from swinging down with a sharp stare. Her eyes were frighteningly threatening.

“Don’t push it, kid. We’re trying to be civil here too.” Sakuya warned the young man before she lets go of his arm. The man finally backed off slowly.

“Look, miss. Last thing we want here is to cause trouble.” Hatori finally stepped in from here. “As you can see, all he wanted was to race you once in a downhill battle. Not a lot to ask, is it? Or is there some sorta...procedure that we have to go through before we can do that? It’s the whole Defense Line system thing rolling around here, yes?”

The crowd was in a total silence. They don’t even know how to answer Hatori’s question at this point.

“Well, it’s not compulsory. If you wish to battle me so badly. I would gladly oblige. But...still, shouldn’t I at least deserve to know who I am going against? Not even the slightest bit?” Setsuna insisted to know of her opponent’s name. She is not planning to battle a complete stranger that won’t even reveal his name, which is as much of a mockery as she can stand.

“...Saburo Misaka.” He finally revealed his name after a long pause.

“I’ll remember that name. So what are you going to use for this race?” Setsuna asked again.

“This 180. It’s a basic car but it will do. Am I worthy?” Saburo replied, quickly dispensing with the small talk.

“...Alright then. Let’s race.”

The atmosphere was tense. People quickly shuffled aside, clearing the starting line. As the cars lined up side by side, Sakuya stood between the two cars, ready to signal the start of the race. The light blue RX-8 and jet-black 180SX warmed up their engines, sending the crowds into a frenzy. Hatori, after doing a final check on the road’s condition, walked towards Saburo with some final advice.

“Lots of dry leaves tonight, Prince.” Hatori began. “You know what to do, right?”

“...Yeah.”

“Good luck then. Just don’t push the brakes too much early on.” Hatori placed a kiss mark on her fingers and poked Saburo’s cheek before she walks away, leaving him mildly annoyed. He never liked her teasing him like that, regardless of what intention.

“Heh, this guy has a death wish! He has no idea who he’s dealing with!” A member from the crowd sneered with a rather cocky smirk.

“Yeah, what’s so special about his 180 anyway? His opponent is a top tier driver with a rotary battle machine designed to tackle a course like this. He’ll be utterly decimated!”

“The course here may be repetitive, but it’s by far the most technical course in Tochigi prefecture, next to Happogahara. The repetitive low-speed hairpins mixed with long straights will leave you breathless.”

“Our Defense Line aces have all conquered the rhythm on this mountain and not a single racer here that isn’t part of them can even come close to being their match. This is gonna be amusing.”

“No shit. I could sure use a good giggle from all the intense competition. Hahaha, it’s nice to see our aces whip some fresh newbie’s ass and give them a nice schooling.”

Despite all the hype built by the crowd as they silently mock Saburo’s attempts to challenge their ace, the drivers seemed anything but hyped. Setsuna felt uneasy, despite her supposed confidence and skill. Her rival’s calm expression made her all the more uncomfortable.

Saburo on the other and couldn’t care less about the crowds. The only thing matters now is that he focuses on the task in hand and gets this race over with.

Sakuya looked into Saburo’s eyes for a moment before he nodded, confirming that he’s ready. The redhead’s usual scowl turn into a small smile before she turns her eyes back to the race.

“Alright, counting down to 5 seconds!!” Sakuya announced, with her right hand lifted high in the air, sending the crowd cheering in anticipation. Some even applauded in the hype of the battle.

“Five...four...three...two...one...”

Setsuna’s mind lost focus briefly. But it was only for a split second, before she prepared to floor it as the countdown reached zero.

“GO!!”

Both cars launched away from the starting line, their exhaust tip spitting flames at full throttle. The engine noises are deafening. The crowd watched as both cars disappear in the darkness, neck to neck.

The cars battled it out for the lead as they headed into the first corner. The crowd continued to cheer loudly, while Sakuya and Hatori watched quietly. Both wore a confident smile on their faces.

In the Nissan, Saburo noticed that the RX-8 had better acceleration, and the blue machine had inched into the lead. With no corners, it was a straight comparison of power, and eventually the RX-8 pulled pass the 180SX. They still have quite a while to go before the first hairpin, which will lead to a very tight braking competition later.

Saburo opted not to fight back and gave the lead to Setsuna as he watches the RX-8’s motion closely.

“Just as expected, the RX-8 is attacking first!”

“Yeah, the 180SX is nothing special. Even with a 2.0 litre SR20 engine, it’s nothing compared to the raw power delivered straight by the 13B rotary!”

“That guy won’t last five hairpins. Heh...”

As the crowd continued to mock Saburo, Sakuya only lean back on her JZA80, accompanied by her own partner.

“Warm welcome, don’t you think, Princess?”

“Zip it, four-eyes. It’s like everyone here needs some eye opening. I don’t remember the last time Irohazaka was this ‘friendly’, things really have changed...”

“Well, people have placed their faith on the Defense Line after all. Ever since the system was placed on the mountain stage, they’ve been running the street racing show everywhere. And trust me, I am not against it entirely, but I am certainly not a fan of this system either.”

“It’s a ridiculous system, alright.” Sakuya agreed, putting on her hat. “It’s exactly why I don’t associate myself with a bunch of racers who see themselves as high and mighty entities who created this system for the recognition they desire.”

Back to the race, the first hairpin is already coming fast and Saburo is ready to make his move, keeping his lining centered. The RX-8 leading in front moved into the outer lane for an out-in-out approach, braking hard on the sharp hairpin’s entry.

Saburo followed as he ease up on the accelerator and hit the brakes. His footwork was heavy, but it’s necessary due to the extremely sharp hairpin ahead that demands a very low entry speed.

“Heh, here comes the first hairpin.” One of the audiences commented with a smirk, certain that Saburo will make a mistake.

He was wrong.

The 180SX dived down the inner lane, keeping the RX-8 on the outside. Saburo maintained enough momentum to take the hairpin side by side, putting him in position to take the lead again.

Smoothly cutting off the RX-8’s rather short-lived lead, he slingshots away, quickly opening a gap between the two cars. The increased power output of his car certainly helped recovering after such a sharp hairpin. Being overtaken on the first hairpin, Setsuna was given a massive shock.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!”

“The 180SX just passed the RX-8 on the inside! And he did it on the first hairpin!! What the hell just happened?!”

Word spread fairly quickly that Setsuna was overtaken by the black 180SX at the peak, with the crowd thrown in a panic. Most of them were in disbelief, and needless to say, not even Sakuya and Hatori expected this to happen.

“Well well, the Prince is still full of surprise, eh?” Hatori chuckled.

“Everything happened so fast...what the hell was all that about? Just who is that guy?” The crowd was just as shocked as the ones on the first hairpin. Everyone was surprised at the sudden attack made by the 180SX.

Back in the race that took a lightning fast turn of events, Saburo spare no time in his lead position and gunned down the straights before the next hairpin hits. And soon enough the second hairpin has arrived.

Saburo braked hard, transferring the weight carefully to preserve his front tires. The 180SX clipped the apex while keeping a distance from the pile of dry leaves on the side of the road.

The blue RX-8 followed but the entry speed was far slower than the 180’s. The Mazda did come out unscathed and Setsuna waste no time in trying to close the gap again. The 180 is now leading by a good 20 meters as they crossed the first checkpoint after criss-crossing a few gentle S curves.

They continued to battle it out as the next hairpin arrives yet again. Saburo quickly repeats his maneuver, blitzing this hairpin while controlling the extra power.

“...This is bad. This man is...really good. What do I do now?” Setsuna wondered, no longer certain that she is capable of winning this battle. Her doubts began to grow ever since she got overtaken.

“A few more hairpins left...better make use of the momentum while I still have good tires.” Saburo remained calm as he blitz through the next hairpin again, followed by the blue RX-8. The gap is slowly increasing to 30 meters by they time they reach the next hairpin.

Saburo kept a cool head in the lead while Setsuna is beginning to break. The tension and pressure is starting to build inside her with the fact that the 180SX is now slowly disappearing from her sight.

“How could this happen...? I thought I have this course down in my hands...”

The cloud of doubts continue to grow in her as Saburo continued the offense, leaving the RX-8 behind with each passing hairpin...

- つづく -

Here I am, late with my feedback again...

This chapter was really intense, and it had my attention fully engaged from very early on. After the initial buildup to set things up, show slightly more of the two characters and successfully get some anticipation going for the impending showdown, it soon cuts back to the R34 on its uphill run as the red Z starts to quickly catch up; and my eyes were glued to the text from this point onwards. Right from that beginning description of the R34's careful trail braking, I started getting a sense that it was going to be hitting a lot of the right notes. That sense proved to be right. With the R34's trail braking and entry speed and the Z lining up on the outside before straight up blasting through that same turn, the high skill levels of both drivers are convincingly and immediately established with quick, efficient and still strong descriptions; the brief cut to the galleries' reactions in either case slightly adding to the effect before the chapter grabs hold of all that momentum and gets right back to the action. The writing has definitely improved, as it's no longer weighing things down with unnecessarily wordy descriptions. The necessary details are described quicker and more efficiently once more as the chapter cuts back to the GT-R, and this change in the writing style stays consistent, greatly helping the pacing in this scene and allowing the action in it to really shine. The writing effectively ramps up the tension further as the Z steadily closes up the remaining distance, the high pace of the scene still maintained, and then it's on; the Z is right on the R34's tail, and the chase begins. All that set up and momentum immediately ramps things up even more, something the writing keeps going as it continues doing a great job at keeping the pace. Through the various corners and the different moves made the action already starts to feel really intense, and then the R34 driver zones out slightly on a turn and gets hit. A sudden error, but one that's believable and not overdramatic, and the intensity keeps increasing as the R34's tires slowly give out and the strain of the chase starts to get to its driver. This adds to the element of suspense that was already present here, and once the Z disappears from her mirrors, the suspense is high as the GT-R driver does what she can to maintain her pace and safely make it to the end of the course. This suspense doesn't crumble at all as she gets even closer and closer to where the goal is; the pressure of the Z is still there and clearly felt. She makes it through unscathed, and it doesn't feel anticlimatic or overly convenient that she does. The execution of the entire scene was remarkably well done from start to finish, all the anticipation built up for it leading to an entirely satisfying payoff with none of the skill on display or the risks and pressure present ever feeling unconvincing. Great job already, and a good step up for the writing as well.

I do wonder what made the R34 driver pass out from that though. Another question that'll probably be answered soon.

After that, Vanessa lightens up the mood as she enjoys the fireworks at Sadamine and leaves Saburo a voicemail. This segment makes for a smooth transition from that intense chase to what'll soon be happening afterwards, and it also keeps her plot arc going a little as the time left before the time attacks is established and all the talk and attention surrounding her is driven in a little more, while at the same time successfully providing a small break from the action too.

And then the voicemail is used to smoothly transition from Sadamine to Irohazaka, and what happens here also proves intense. Non-boring dialogue leads into one of the Defense Line showing up, more non-boring dialogue follows (as well as decent attention to body language and overall mood) as Saburo ends up making his challenge, and that leads to the second race of this chapter, which has already started hitting the right notes in its set up. The strength of that last race already set the right tone for this one as some of the momentum carries over and a sense of this one being equally promising is created. My attention got easily engaged this time as well, and stayed that way after the race started. The writing is still clearly sharper than in earlier chapters, something that even showed up slightly in some of the non-racing parts here, and this race quickly picks up a good pace too. It's already exciting as the cars dash through the first straight and the RX-8 pulls ahead, the first hairpin still a good distance away. By cutting back to the gallery here the feel of the race is again brought out more, and anticipation is created as the big moment ahead doesn't happen too soon. That doesn't last too long, the pace is still preserved as the first corner comes up, and then Saburo makes his move. The use of the center lining here to set up a late braking overtake makes for a nice, convincing and more versatile version of that technique. The driving's stayed both exciting and believable throughout this whole chapter, and it stays that way as Saburo takes the lead and prepares to keep it. The chapter ends a few more corners in, but I have a pretty good feeling whatever happens next will be just as fun to read.

Again, pretty good job.

Sorry again for the delayed reply. And I'm gonna have finals to deal with soon too, so I might not be much quicker with them for most of what's left of the month either. I'll still be reading though, and I'll try to review when I can.
Anyway, still up for more.

Don't apologize for the delayed response, apologise for such a massive wall of text!

Nah, thanks for sticking with us and just a FYI, this is where I start writing so thank you for all the compliments regarding the writing.

Also, I suppose I didn't make it clear, but that girl was TIIREEEDDDDD after escaping the red gorilla. I'm surprised you didn't catch that, since you caught a lot of other things which normally go unnoticed.

'tis incredibly true! I already noticed and I do massively apologize!

Exactly my question, what made her that tired? Because even dealing with the heavy steering ratio of the R34 doesn't normally make someone go unconscious like that, and especially not after just one run (even if it was incredibly life threatening).

And with that, I apologize for the wall of text once more! Also, you're welcome.

This post has been edited by Meteor on Aug 12 2014, 11:44 PM

Eh, I don't know if there's any potential consequences to answering that question so I'll just answer it. You're expecting too much from someone so physically weak.

If you've not caught it from the previous descriptions, she's not what you'd call a healthy looking girl. That in turn means she's…probably not all that strong to begin with. This is just an extreme example of her at her worst, if you like. You might say "well if she's driving that thing she should be used to it"…but that's a different matter altogether which will actually be explained, later on.

So, on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being "answered my question head on", 10 being "said a lot but didn't tell me anything"), rate my response.

1.060324150004

And back to wondering what later chapters will bring.

Much thanks for all the great feedbacks, Meteor!

Anyway...time for another update here.

And so...we begin again with a new chapter...

Code 13: Redline

At Irohazaka, the atmosphere tonight could only be described as being unnervingly tense. Saburo’s lead over Setsuna was still strong, and they had already reached the third checkpoint. A crowd gathered at the next hairpin were speculating the outcome of the race.

“Man...did you hear about what happened at the first hairpin?”

“Yeah...man, that’s some sick shit...the Gripping Maiden...overtaken on the first turn...I really wanna believe this is bullshit, but judging by the news from checkpoint no.2, this really is happening…”

“Quit being so negative, you people! This is only half of the race! It’s not over until it’s over, okay? I am sure Setsuna can make a comeback soon! She’s been beating outsiders like this guy for months! Come on! Don’t give up!!” An enthusiastic fan shouted. However, the crowd as a whole wasn’t convinced.

“I wanna support Setsuna too, dude. But the guy we’re up against is a completely unpredictable driver, have you forgotten? Bloody hell, I’ve seen so many 180SX drivers but not one of them can last this long...”

“Here they come!!!”

Their chatter was interrupted by the sound of Saburo’s 180SX. The 180SX arrived at the hairpin. They could only watch in shock as he dispatched with the hairpin and accelerated away, some 40 meters ahead of the RX-8.

“ ....No way...!”

“You gotta be shitting me...” The man couldn’t help but tug his hair in disbelief. “This...this is just insane...”

“What the hell just happened? Why is Setsuna so far behind?! This NEVER HAPPENED back then! What the fuck is she doing? What is going on here?!”

It wasn’t just the crowd that was stressing out. Setsuna was getting desperate as well.

“Why?” Setsuna questioned, her palms were shaking, moist with sweat. She was slowly giving in to the growing panic. “This isn’t right at all...what am I doing wrong exactly? This doesn’t make sense! My settings were supposed to be perfect. And I’ve been using the correct set of tires, so why am I being left behind? What is it that I lack?” Unable to come to terms with what happened, she could only watch as the Nissan slowly increased the gap even further.

In the lead, Saburo could tell that the RX-8’s cornering was getting sloppy, probably due to the tires, but he didn’t let his guard down. “How long will it take for her to give up...I guess there’s little point in pondering about that now...my tires aren’t responding as sharply anymore either."

Arriving at the next hairpin, Saburo braked slightly early, trying to preserve the front tires. As he turns in, the RX-8 prepares to brake. When she noticed this, Setsuna tries to take advantage of this and closes the gap briefly, but this move disrupted her rhythm instead. She accelerates too early, forcing her to correct the oversteer, letting the 180SX get away.

The news that the distance between the two cars had widened yet again spread to the Parking Area like wildfire.

“I don’t believe it...the 180SX is already 50 meters ahead of Setsuna...!” One member of the gallery gathered at the peak said, his voice barely audible from the shock.

“Just who is that dude? His pace is at the level of the fastest here!”

“If he is, I better apologize for mocking him...that guy just decimated --

“S-shut up, dude! That guy is just a nobody!” A fan abruptly interrupted. “I know, Setsuna must be going easy on him! There’s no way she can lose so easily! This is all just an act! A fluke, I am telling you!”

“Seriously, a fluke? Since when did Setsuna ever go easy with her rivals?”

“...well! That’s....that’s because…“ Out of excuses, he could only reluctantly accept the truth.

“Give it a rest man...Setsuna is getting burned. We better learn how to swallow this fruit of truth...even now I still can’t believe that guy is actually doing all this. He made it look a bit too easy, in fact...”

“Heh....”Finally accepting reality, a faint chill ran down his spine at the thought of Saburo’s pace. “...To think I even said things like ‘he won’t last 5 hairpins’ back then...now I feel stupid...”

Slightly further away, Sakuya and Hatori were chatting by their cars as they listened in on the race updates.

“So Princess, what do you think of this race now?” Hatori asked with a small smirk.

“Game over. That’s what I think.” Sakuya replied dismissively, taking her hat off to brush her hair aside.

“Even Defense Line’s so called “ACES” cannot escape the rookie mistake of overlooking a rival’s potential.”

“Well, they’re no different after all. But I am still interested in what will come after this...I figured by the time our Prince is done with that poor girl, their Irohazaka Ace is going to be dead pissed about what happened.” Hatori chuckled at the thought.

“Whatever happens, Saburo won’t be fighting alone, that much I can tell you. I’ll be there for him when things get hairy. I have nothing against the Defense Line jocks, but their ridiculous discrimination against outsiders needs to stop, that’s for sure.”

“I am with you on that. Might as well give them a piece of my mind about this. I never was too keen on the whole pride-defending crap. Pride is just subjective anyway, there’s no point holding on to it so much.” She shook her head gently and turned her gaze away from the increasingly worried fans with a narrowed smile.

Back to the race, both cars are almost nearing the forth checkpoint. Saburo increases his pace further down the small straight, arriving at the consecutive hairpins. His higher exit speeds meant that he is almost 60 meters ahead of the RX-8 now.

“...No...! This can’t be happening...! I can still do this...!” Setsuna assured herself as she prepared to mount a charge through this section.

The first hairpin arrives. Saburo clears it with relative ease. However, Setsuna’s braking and throttle control had become less delicate. She was pushing even harder, desperately trying to close the gap. The hairpins were too tightly packed for the chance in distance to be seen, but evidently, it was taking its toll on the tires. As Saburo reached the fifth hairpin, the RX-8 was starting to show signs of oversteer.

“Oh no! The tires!!” In trying to keep pace with the Nissan, she had fallen victim to her urges, and was now fighting the steering exiting the fifth hairpin. Setsuna threw caution to the wind despite knowing the state of the tires. She charged into the sixth hairpin with the RX-8 barely stablised. The car entered the corner sideways, and with no grip at the rear, it lost control, spinning out in a cloud of smoke.

“Gah!!”

“Oh...!!" The crowd fell silent after the smoke settled, with only the distancing sound of Saburo’s 180SX.

Panting, Setsuna slow recollected her thoughts. “...Haha...I’ve lost. I guess I really have misjudged your abilities, Saburo Misaka...I should’ve known better...there were fast drivers out there too that can outmatch me in terms of skill...This must be what the price of being overconfident is...it sure is painful to swallow, but I’ll take it.”

Getting out of the RX-8 after shutting off the engine, Setsuna checked the rear tires. As soon as she realized they were shot, she couldn’t help but laugh slightly. She had made the simple mistake of pushing the tires too hard. As she laughed, members of the crowd came over to check on her.

“Hey, Mikami...you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“It’s okay...I’m fine, don’t worry.” Setsuna shook her head slightly.

“ ....But the race...”

“Haha...I’ve lost. Sorry about that, everyone...”

At the peak, the news of Setsuna’s loss was met with shock and doubt. The inaudible murmurs from the crowd only served to confirm the local’s worse fears.

“Setsuna…lost?”

“She spun out at the end of the third checkpoint!”

“Her legendary streak...snapped in half just like that...”

In the parking area, Saburo’s victory reached the two girls. On hearing the news, they simply smiled at each other.

“Well, that’s that. Thoughts?”

“Was there ever any doubt? Like I said, it was over back there. Saburo did what needed to be done to shut these people up. They better think twice now before screwing with outsiders.”

Before Hatori could respond, Sakuya’s phone rang. The caller was Saburo, much to her delight.

“...Yes?”

“Let’s go. We’re finished here.”

“Alright...but what about –“

“We’ll talk later. I’m tired. At the usual spot, okay?”

“Sure thing...” Hanging up, she turned to Hatori. “Let’s go, Four-eyes. The usual spot.”

"Alrighty! One down, five to go."

As the girls got back to their cars, a familiar face ran towards them. It was the same person who mocked Saburo. He stopped Sakuya before she could leave.

“Hey, wait...!”

“ ...hmm?”

“Just...who are you guys? What business do you have here, exactly?"

“Just a pack of individuals who got fed up with the Defense Line bullshit.”

Without waiting for a response, she jumped into the JZA80 and drove off, followed by the JZA70. The “Anti-defense line team” coolly left Irohazaka and its devastated locals, disappearing into the night.

--------------------------------------------

3:04 AM, July 5th. A manor deep in the heart of the Kanagawa mountain was illuminated by the scarlet moon. Its garden was dimly lit by countless streetlamps. At the centre of the manor’s front yard was a paved route that leads up to the front doors, with an ornate fountain positioned in front. The only sound that could be heard outside the manor was the quiet and gentle splashes the fountain made.

However, inside the manor, all was not tranquil. In the large main hall, a butler was pacing around the doorway. He was dressed in a black uniform, and looked to be in his 40s. Even so, he looked to be in good shape, though he was barely fitting in his tight suit. However, the expression on his face suggested that he was currently going through greater discomfort than just tight clothes.

“Where is mistress?”

His pacing quickened when he glanced at his watch. It was now 3AM in the morning.

“What could possibly be taking her? …Damn that man, at least provide a decent explanation when you make such a sudden request.” The butler’s concern was taking hold, his polite façade slowly crumbling.

After a few more minutes, an engine’s heavy rumbling broke the eerie silence. On hearing this sound, which was accompanied by occasional barks from revving the engine, he walked towards the reception desk and checked the CCTV monitors on his laptop. The car heading up the drive was a black GT-R R34. Even in the dim light, he could make out the dented rear bumper.

“Mistress! Finally...! And that R...oh dear.” He then opened a new window on the laptop. It was a data logger. He skimmed over the data displayed onscreen, before noticing a red warning in the corner of the window. It read, "Warning: Engine Temperature Too High". Letting out a soft sigh, the man enjoyed a brief moment of relief before calmly heading outside.

He waited at the field with a pot of water in hand as the manor gates glided open. The R34 rumbled down the path. The pungent smell of burnt rubber and oil grew stronger as it approached. It was so foul that the butler considered retreating to the manor and greeting the driver there.

The driver pulled over next to the butler, and slowly opened the door. The girl behind the wheel had her hair tied in twintails. The tips were doused in her sweat. Her clothes were also in disarray; the elegant black cloth was simply wrapped around her pale, slender shoulders like a blanket.

Greeted by this sight, the butler’s willpower was further challenged.

“I have returned, Koizumi. Ah…I see you have prepared water for me.”

Koizumi bowed slightly without a word. Having dispensed with the greeting, he immediately lifted the bonnet and poured the cool water into the radiator. Steam erupted from the engine bay the next instance, hiding the girl's slightly irritated face. She could do nothing but watch as every drop of water went towards cooling off the GT-R.

"Mistress, where have you been exactly? Would you be so kind as to explain where you have been for the past two hours? Unless I am mistaken, the curfew for tonight was 1AM."

"I was bored. Is wanting to breathe in some fresh air outside the manor not a good enough reason? Rather, should you not be feeling happy that I have taken an interest in the outdoors?" She snapped back, feeling even more dehydrated after watching all the water evaporate in front of her eyes. "Also…your concern over the car's wellbeing is appreciated, but to tend to it first even when I am currently in this state is making me question your loyalty."

"That wasn’t very subtle, mistress. Although your interest in the outside is a good thing, I doubt Master Tatsuya would appreciate this lack of tolerance." As the steam subsided, his looked towards his mistress. Her eyes were fixed on the pot he held in his hand. Finally understanding why she was behaving strangely, he let out another small sigh. "If you wish, mistress, I shall prepare tea once we return to the manor."

To Koizumi's offer, she simply nodded dismissively and turned towards the manor. "As for my brother…I could care less of what he thinks of me. Do not bring him up in conversation if it is avoidable."

As they walked up the small staircase to the manor, Koizumi suddenly stopped and eyed the black GT-R behind him.

"Pardon my stubbornness, but what exactly did you do in the last few hours? I refuse to believe you were just cruising. Ruka, the heart rate monitor showed that yours was spiking, and it was around the same time the car started overheating. That could not have happened if you were driving alone. Were you racing? If you were, what did I tell you about keeping calm?" The butler's voice suddenly tensed as he let his curiosity take over.

"Let’s just say that I have found a new playmate…can we end it at that and continue tomorrow?" Ruka responded wearily. After such a night, the last thing she needed was to be interrogated like this.

"A new playmate, huh?" Koizumi snorted at the response, clearly not impressed. "The car's telemetry showed multiple spikes in lateral G forces, and the damage at the rear could not have been made by simple driver error. Quite a playmate you have there. Now, mind elaborating?"

"…"

"Ruka, answer me. What. Happened?"

"Enough!" The relentless questioning finally got to her. "…it's either 'Mistress' or 'milady', I may allow for some freedom in how you address me, but do not call me by my name out of habit. Prepare my bath as soon as you’re done putting my car in its rightful place. I expect everything to be done within 10 minutes. The tea can wait." She tossed the car's keys at Koizumi and walked away.

"...Yes, milady."

The young mistress made her way into the manor. Her footsteps echoed through the hallway. The sound of her heels clattering gave the already tired girl a severe headache. Her eyes felt dry and she was slightly regretting sending the butler off, as she now had no one to help her to her room. As she walked, she sifted through the eventful night she had. At the thought of the rush of emotions that had completely overwhelmed her at the end, she couldn’t help but smile at that novel feeling.

By the time Ruka had arrived at her room, her eyelids were already trying to weld themselves shut. Her frail limbs ached and her joints felt stiff. She stood in a daze in front of her bed for a good few seconds, then finally focusing enough to slide out of her top. Before she could change properly, she had collapsed onto her bed. Listening to her heavy breathing, fatigue soon took over again and lulled her to sleep.

After parking the R34, Koizumi made his way to Ruka’s room. To his surprise, the sight that greeted him was not the impatient lady he knew, but an extremely tired girl. She was sprawled on her bed, her clothes were unbuttoned and lay wide open, and she was sound asleep. He could tell that she still hadn't recovered, as her body was still tinted in a sickly pink, and there was a small pools of sweat forming at various exposed parts of her body. Smiling fondly, he tucked her into bed, adjusted the air conditioning in the room and left as quietly as he could. He then takes out his phone, and quickly dials a number as he walked.

“Finally, you call.” The male voice on the other end snapped moodily before recomposing himself. “Spare me the formalities and cut to the chase.”

“Tonight’s run was 4 minute and 2 seconds, 3 seconds slower than her simulation’s best time. As for her progress in simulations, it’s currently 213 wins with 34 losses.”

“Good...that’s all I need to know for now.”

“…So, what’s this all of a sudden? Calling out of the blue and having me send that sheltered princess out there to race some random. Did I also mention the damage done to my car, and that she looks even more of a ghost than usual? I think you owe me an explanation.”

“What’s this? Showing concern for her now, of all times, are we?” The man effortlessly smoothed over Koizumi’s complaints. The voice carried on, speaking in a light, mocking tone. “Did you think that the peaceful days of sitting around, pouring tea and watching her play video games was all there was to this? Do as you’re told, without question. This conversation is over. Carry on with your duties, butler.” The line was dead before Koizumi could respond.

“...Yes…’sir’...” He uttered beneath his breath. Gritting his teeth with irritation, the butler headed towards the garage. He was still fuming, the words that the man spoke to him echoed in his head. Unable to bear it, he grabbed a wrench from the garage table. Just as the rage was about to boil over, he hesitated and took a deep breath.

“… Unfortunately, I can’t allow myself to enjoy the luxury of throwing violent fits in this environment.” Koizumi told himself with a regretful smile on his face. He then closed the garage doors, and began repairing the damaged GT-R.

--------------------------------------------

2013, July 6th.

Although it was barely a night ago, the news of Saburo’s victory had already left Irohazaka, spreading to the rest of Tochigi. The pass had lost the tense atmosphere from yesterday, with workhorses parked where the high performance machinery once were.

However, the serenity was short lived. From afar, the sound of tuned engines broke the silence. The source of the disruption was a white and olive Toyota Soarer. Behind it was a pure white Nissan S15. The pair slowly pulled up at the Parking Area, enjoying the summer breeze as they waited for each other to get out.

The driver of the S15 looked to around twenty years old. He had brown hair and green eyes, an unusual sight in Japan. The Soarer’s driver was definitely in his forties. His messy, cropped black hair and thick stubble gave him a rough image, especially when compared to the tidily dressed youth.

“Hey dad...what do you think of my progress back in Happogahara?” The young man eagerly asked.


“Hmm?” The Soarer driver, however, didn’t share his enthusiasm. Without much consideration, he responded with a quiet grunt.

“That practice run a few days ago on there. Was it good? Did I improve?”

“Tomoyuki, you’re too concerned about your own abilities. How many times must I tell you to never gloat about your progress?”

“What, I was just asking if I improved!”

"You shouldn't ask. I can only say that I expected a lot more from you. Your footwork back there was sloppy, and you still haven't conquered your fears in going through turns at high speed. The moment you hesitate, your opponent will leave you behind. Got it?"

"...hah... yes, Kuniaki seeenseeeiiiii. "

“But regardless, you remedying that weakness and eventually get to a higher level is only a matter of time.”

“Thanks dad. By the way...” He glanced towards the clear skies above, staring at the abstract clouds as he changed the topic. “Have you heard of what happened around here last night?”

“What happened?”

“The Defense Line...”

“...Ah, yes. The absurd system that has been around the mountains for some time now...”

“Well...someone just breached that Defense Line. Believe it or not, from what I hear it’s actually a normal guy with a black 180SX.”

On hearing that, Kuniaki could only stand in silence. The thought that someone would challenge the defense line was too intriguing to ignore. Clearly interested, he shuffled closer towards Tomoyuki, waiting for him to continue.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but rumors like these fly very fast once they spread. Setsuna Mikami, the Gripping Maiden with the RX-8 got burned last night...” Sighing in disbelief, he let his head drop slightly at the depressing thought. “Some even said that the battle was over before they even reached the goal line at the bottom. So many months worth of a winning streak, and the guy shot it down like fishes in a flimsy barrel.”

“Indeed... This man sure strikes me as a very interesting individual. Most of the people nowadays in the world of street racing were too afraid to even stand up to anything since the Defense Line system was placed in the stage. Things were so much simple back then...it’s a shame.”

The conversation stopped for a moment as Kuniaki took out a packet of cigarettes. Tomoyuki watched his father with a disgusted expression as he fumbled around searching for his lighter, muttering about the days before the defense line. As Kuniaki reminisced, he lit the cigarette and inhaled gently. Before his father got too carried away, Tomoyuki picked up from where they left off.

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“I am dead sure the last Ace is going to be very angry about this. Never have once in their career has an outsider beat them at the course they were assigned to. They really were that good. My only regret is that I couldn’t be the first one to have the honor in lighting those guys’ pride ablaze with my S15. I’m confident that I can still give them a run for their money if I had the chance.”

“There you go again. Confidence is good, but you get overconfident too easily, son. Still...I am very interested in this kid too. If fate allows, I’d like to meet him myself.”

Hearing his father’s increasing interest in Saburo, Tomoyuki’s face brightened slightly, though still slightly disgusted at the nicotine fumes blown his way by the breeze.

“Well fate obviously is on our side, dad. Something tells me that he WILL show up tonight. If he’s planning to tear the Defense Line a new one, I am sure he’ll come back here for seconds.”

“Hmm, you have a point. Let’s check him out tonight then.”

“There’s a rumor that he has a team too, but I can’t be too sure yet.”

“A team huh...very interesting. Hmm, guess this whole ridiculous system is going to be shut down if they keep this up. But I am not holding my breath just yet.”

“Haha, same here...anyway...let’s go for a practice downhill run from here. Once we’re done, we can go grab some breakfast maybe?

“Sounds good enough for me, son. Let’s go...”

Much to Tomoyuki’s relief, his father finally tossed his cigarette aside as they got into their cars. Both cars quickly left Irohazaka’s Parking Area, charging down the pass at full throttle.

--------------------------------------------

The time was now 5:02PM. The long period of inactivity was broken by the arrival of a sole car. It was Saburo’s 180SX. He arrived at the parking area and quickly examined the road conditions.

Staring at a pile of dry leaves by the gutters, he evaluated the result of his race with Setsuna. Given how severe a blow to their pride it should have been, the chances of a race with a defense line member should be very probable.

With nothing better to do, he thought back to the conversation he had with the two girls after the race. The spot they met up at was an abandoned factory. Sakuya started the conversation.

“So...what now?”

“We’ll have to deal with the next Ace. Knowing that we snapped their streak like a twig, they’ll definitely show up tomorrow night. The only question would be who...”

“Well, I am good for anything. But just remember, if that BCNR33 guy shows up, you’re going to need a better set of tires at least.” Hatori replied, showing slight concern for once.

Saburo searched his memory, trying to recall who this threat was.

“Shin Imai...”

“That guy? I thought he was over at Happogahara now.”

“You were misinformed, Princess...that guy is still around Irohazaka. And thanks to the little stunt we just pulled, he will definitely have a reason to stay here.”

“…Humph.” Sakuya pouted and crossed her arms, clearly irritated.

“Whatever. It won’t matter.” Quickly moving on, Saburo picked up the conversation. “We’ll just have to squeeze in as much practice runs as we can by tomorrow during the afternoon. But chances of seeing him would only be 50/50, even with our actions tonight. I am not holding my breath that anything big will happen tomorrow night but let’s just hope things will go somewhat according to plan.”

“Whatever happens, I am with you, as always. Heh.” Hatori patted Saburo’s shoulder as she walked to her car. “You did great tonight.”

“Yeah...Anyway…I’m tired.” Sakuya announced. “Let’s sleep early so we can work on the practice plan with more time to spare.”

“...Good work, then.”

With that, the party of 3 disbanded for the night.

Saburo ended his reminiscing there, focusing back to the present.

“With Sakuya and Hatori done with their part, I suppose it’s all up to me now...I’ll just text them on what to do next...”

After sending the text, he quickly put his phone away.

“..Might as well head ba—“

Turning back to the Nissan, he suddenly heard a rasping engine note approach from further down the pass. There was no doubt that this was a highly tuned car, as there was the unmistakable chattering of a turbo as the driver lifted off the throttle. It soon revealed itself to be an Evo X, modified with widened arches and a GT Wing. However, that was not the most notable thing about it. The most…notable thing about it was its paint. The Evo was wrapped in gold chrome. It stood out like a sore thumb, and things only got worse as it got closer to him. The gold was reflecting the afternoon sun straight at his eyes, temporarily blinding Saburo.

“WAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” A hearty laugh erupted from somewhere within the intense light. He can barely see, but he clearly heard the strange sound of grunting.

“ ...?” Still completely confused by this sudden development, he tried to at least look into the direction of the driver. However, unbelievably, the driver was looking down at him from the roof of the car.

“I have finally found you, O Dark One!!” His sight slowly recovering, Saburo can just about see the owner of the Evo cross his arms very proudly after such an hysterical act.

“Who are you supposed to be?”

“HUMPH! I got no name to offer for scoundrels like you! Streets are for good-natured souls to use and YOU are not one of them! HIYAHHH!!“

After another wild laugh, this bewildering person showed off his amazing agility again. Somersaulting over Saburo with absolute confidence, he landed skillfully before striking a pose. He stretched an arm out, pointing to the sky, and pulled his other arm back, showing off his muscular body.

“I am the Golden Soaring Dragon with Broken Fangs, The Defender of the Innocent Road Warriors, The Protector of the Mountain Legends and Myths; The Adored Hero of Street Legends, The Golden Machine of JUSTICE -- HIIRO YOSHIDA, AT YOUR SERVICE!!!”

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“...You just told me your name.” Saburo could only cringe slightly at Hiiro’s needlessly grand self-introduction. He sighed and shut his eyes, waiting for a response.

“Oh...umm...”

“Also...I think you got the wrong idea. I am not the Dark One...”

“Oops...! AHAHAHAHAHA!!! Please forgive me, my dear friend!! I have completely and utterly mistaken you for my nemesis back there due to your car! Haha! My sincerest apologies, really!”

“...So what’s the deal with this...hero thing you’re going on about?”

“Well, as mentioned in my epic introduction, my name is Hiiro Yoshida, and I am an Ally of Justice.” Hiiro paused slightly, smiling proudly at the self-proclaimed title. “Recently I have been keeping track on my records in holding the peace and order of this mountain along with the fellow good men in the Defense Line. Those brave warriors really are something worth respecting of, don’t you think? They make you race and battle for something to believe in! It truly is an exquisite feeling!”.

“…” Saburo didn’t respond, still thinking over Hiiro’s words.

“What’s the matter? You look like you lost your best friend there, young man.”

“Never mind...but what is this...Dark One you’re talking about again?”

“Well, as you can see. My fellow comrade sister in arms; Setsuna Mikami, the Gripping Maiden has been defiled! Defiled by a dark one so foul that her loss against him can be said as worse than losing her purity! WHAT BLASPHEMY! This is inexcusable, and to top it off, this evil villain has to commit such felony in my homeground, Irohazaka! I will find this Dark One and cleanse his evil with my golden machine of justice, that Evo X right there!” Finishing his grandiose speech, Hiiro’s arm lashed out towards his car, pointing at it proudly.

“…Well, it sure is...something.” At a loss for words, Saburo was half convinced that the person in front of him definitely suffered Chuunibyou.

“HAHAHA! My Evo X has never lost to any evil before, my friend! And The Dark One would be no different! I shall avenge my fallen comrade and clear her good name for the sake of other brave warriors in this stage if it’s the last thing I do! Say...are you also part of the warriors supporting the cause of our glory?” Carrying on with his exuberant rambling, the “Warrior of Justice” now focused on Saburo.

“...Actually, I am just here to carry out my duty and do what needs to be done. Nothing more.”

“Ah, so you’re taking an initiative I suppose? That’s good! And...hmm....“ Hiiro exaggeratedly moves his head as he scans Saburo’s appearance. “Even though you’re dressed in the darkest color known to man, through your eyes I can still see a flicker of justice burning inside you! You have great potential, my friend. I am quite impressed!!”

“…What?” Thoroughly lost by now, Saburo gave up trying to understand what the heavily built man in front of him is saying and simply played along. His head was hurting from trying to keep up.

“Well then, I am glad to have you as my new ally of justice! Now let me ask ye, what art thou known as?”

“ ...Umm...”

“Speak up, friend! No need to be shy!”

“...Saburo.”

“Very well then, my friend, Saburo! We shall meet again!!” Hiiro turned around, brushed his hair back and marched back to his Evo. “Much as I love to stay, I must be off!! May the Flames of Justice guide you to your true destiny, my new friend!!”

The golden Evo X took its leave equally noisily, but soon, Saburo was alone in silence again.

“I think I just shaved off 50 years worth of my life…” Saburo sighed. His head felt sore and he was slightly thrown off his pace. Burying his head in his hands, he tried to put that encounter behind him and focus back on preparing for tonight.

--------------------------------------------

In Tsuchisaka, the sky was clouded over, obscuring the beauty of the setting sun. However, this didn’t really matter to the locals, as they were too busy practicing or chatting with each other. The usual crowd of tuned machinery occupied the Parking Area. Everything from Honda Civics to Mazda RX-7s, with all forms of modifications, was present. With a calm breeze blowing in, the mood here was comparatively more light-hearted than in Irohazaka. Things were shaping up to be a typical street racer’s gathering tonight as well.

At the corner of the Parking Area was a small team of four men. Their cars consisted of an Nissan Cefiro, a Nissan Z31, a Toyota Soarer and a Toyota Verossa. This strange line up was made stranger still by their paint. They were all in an eye-searing yellow, a yellow so vivid that most locals couldn’t even look towards their direction. Their drivers sat at a bench, two were in a serious debate, and another two were watching a couple argue.

"Kunitaro, The girl over there. She's just like your girlfriend, eh?"

"My girlfriend? No bro, this girl doesn't seem to pull insane logic out of her ass and spew it everywhere. It's just your daily lover's quarrel. Nothing to see here."

"Yeah, but she's a looker though. Would hit like the fist of an angry god, mmm."

"I... have no idea what you're talking about." Kunitaro shuffled away slightly at his friend's remark. "Anyway, Tsukioka. What do you think of that last race back then?"

"Oh, the one yesterday? It was alright I guess... but I think that team could’ve done better."

"Yeah..." Upon hearing the new topic, the two other drivers joined in their discussion.

"Well, based on the knowledge of those members in the team I expect more actually. It was honestly quite...underwhelming, despite their initial gusto and supposed skill in making consistent times. Especially that guy in the EG6. There’s no reason why his run is only so average with that amount of tuning done."

"Kotoku, it was very clear that they lack knowledge necessary to transgress humanity’s simplicity. Such tactics certainly won’t work if they were to face true drivers with more versatility."

“...By that, you mean drivers like you, Kantaro?”

"Exactly, my friend!"

"...you’re hopeless." Kunitaro sighed heavily as he shook his head.

"Says you, asswipe!"

"Umm, guys?" Tsukioka quickly changed the topic before things got physical. "Speaking of good drivers, there's this one guy I'm very intrigued about. You guys heard of that black 180SX recently?

The chatter stopped briefly, everyone’s expressions clouded over until they realized who Tsukioka was talking about.

“...Yeah. I heard of him. He’s good.” Kunitaro remarked, smiling slightly.

"I know. Heh...it’s really a fresh change to see someone finally take a stand to this system. After so many years of their ‘governance’ in the mountain stages they occupy throughout the Japan, it’s getting a bit controversial as to whether they really work at all as defense in pride. Saburo Misaka must’ve shared a bit of the same idea with us too."

"Well, if we’re talking about him then it’s clearly an entirely different case. Through the clips of his battle against the Gripping Maiden I can conclude that he has approximately 95% mapped out the course in his head as a recall memory of some sort that allow him to tackle on the technical hairpins on Irohazaka so easily without the fear of sudden low-speed section. You cannot just expect to come out unscathed from every hairpin with good eyes on braking points alone. He’s definitely got a different air around him than most of the chumps back there in Tochigi that is under the Defense Line’s category."

"Oh please. Details schmetails. I know why he’s good, unlike you, Mr. Encyclopedia." Kantaro quickly dismissed the detailed analysis. "He is definitely a descendant to an old alien species of the wisest kind?. That, or he must be chosen by the ancient ones to bring back the true balance to this pitiful excuse of a world known as the “Racer’s Sanctuary”. Heh."

There was a long silence, everyone was left speechless by his unique theory. Before Kantaro could carry on spewing more nonsense, Kunitaro interrupted.

"Okay, sorry to obstruct your river of superstitious bullshit, but Kantaro, you're creeping me out. To think how long I put up with your nasty talk of nonsense. Seriously it’s getting a bit out of hand. Quit talking like that, would you?"

"Say what now? You never complained back then, and even if you've had this condition, it's behind you already, right? So what's the big deal?"

"IT'S EMBARRASSING!" Unable to restrain the embarrassment of his past, Kunitaro buried his face in his hands and stuck his fingers in his ears.

"Fine! Let’s race then. You and me, Tsuchisaka outbound. One go. You win, I keep my mouth shut or in check at least. I win, you’ll suffer so hard that you wish an alien would abduct your ass right here on the spot. How about it?"

"...Whatever. I’ll do it."

"Hah, beat you then, jerkbag!"

"Beat me off, moron. I am gonna smoke some sense into your goddamn head."

Kunitaro and Kantaro didn't even bother with a countdown, and proceeded to drift around the parked cars in their immature attempts at slowing each other down with smoke.

"Hey, wait for us...! Jeez...!" Tsukioka complained, coughing from the heavy smell of burnt rubber in the air.

"Well well, spunky as always...heh. Oh well. This could be an additional session for my data-collection." The Z31 and Verossa left the Parking Area in the most dramatic way possible. With the entire Parking Area looking in their direction, there was nothing for it for the two left behind. They quickly sprinted to their cars and set off in hot pursuit. The four friends charged down the mountains, using their rough skills as best they could on the tight course, leaving Tsuchisaka buried under their tire smoke.

--------------------------------------------

At Sadamine, the atmosphere was lively as ever. The chatter that filled the air gave the normally quiet mountain pass a festive feeling. There was a Q&A session for novices to the street racing scene at the side of the Parking Area, where everything from advice on visual modifications to tuning for outright pace was discussed in great detail.

In another area of the PA was a car show, held by Driver’s Utopia. The people gathered around each entrant’s vividly liveried car. Notable entries included Hello Kitty liveried GT-Rs, Tron-themed RX-7s with neon wheels, and even an iron-man inspired chrome Fairlady Z. Among the crowd gathered next to a selection of pink cars were Ayase and Mayumi.

“These cars sure are...quite colorful.”

“Oh please, I’ve seen much more tasteful ones. These are just overboard. I can’t believe some would vote for the one with a big-ass double-layer wing.”

“ ...yeah, that one was outright ridiculous. But I guess people like that sort of thing since there’s at least 40 votes placed on the box. Haha....”

“Pah! Some people have shit taste. It’s repulsive! If I were to decorate my Evo, I would’ve easily won the contest at the tip of the hat!”

“Hell, you would win all the prizes, from Third down to the Grand Prize.” Ayase replied, speaking in monotone. She rolled her eyes and distanced herself from her arrogant friend.

"No shit! ...wait a sec, are you being sarcastic?"

"Take a wild guess, you damn breast monster." She snickered bitterly as she eyed her friend's voluptuous body with slight jealousy. Mayumi frowned slightly, annoyed by the remark, but didn't respond.

"Say...where’s Vanessa?" Ayase looked around, trying to find the fluorescent green Renault within the crowd.

"Off for one last uphill run. She wants to check if the tires are up to the job."

"I see.."

"Well, she’ll make it back soon enough. Let’s just enjoy the parade while we wait for her to return."

While waiting for another few minutes for Vanessa to complete her run, the two friends strolled through the parking lot, a pink Altezza caught Ayase's eye.

"I think that Altezza deserves a bit of recognition. It’s really tastefully done, I must say."

"Oi, forget about that...guess who's here."

"Aoi!"

" ...oh, it’s you. Sorry, I was too busy taking pictures..."

"No, it’s okay...we’ve finished our preparations for the event anyway so we’re just chilling here...

"Yeah...and not to mention we’re on LATER queue for the time-attack event. That means we have to wait at least half an our or so after the clock hits 9:00 PM. This stinks...!

"Do forgive us for the delay though...it’s just that we cannot risk doing this the same way closed tracks do time trials due to limited space in mountain pass. Regardless...I am sure you will do well in this event."

"Well...hope that’s the case."

"Oh look! She’s here! It’s really her!!" A person near the parking area exit shouted. More people started cheering as they saw the approaching car. The car in question was none other than the latest hot topic of Sadamine, the fluorescent green Renault Megane R2.6R.
"Wow...she sure has gotten quite a boost in popularity since her debut, huh? Whatever happened to dissing outsiders, Mayumi?"

"Don’t ask me. I am every bit as surprised as you are. I know some of them have begun respecting her since her race at Sadamine were made public but I never knew her following would have become so large...this is impressive, I must say."

Vanessa slowly emerged from the sea of people surrounding her, and parked the Renault beside Mayumi's Evo VI. She got out, and after greeting the crowds with a quick wave, went to greet her friends.

"Yo, how are you all!"

"You seemed to be in high spirits, kiddo!"

"Yeah...what’s with the warm treatment now?"

"Well, let’s just say some guys have been a little wrong about me. Haha! I could really get used to the nice treatment here! Saitama is not really as bad as I thought after all!"

"Keep running your mouth like that and this stage will drop you into its darkness, Gaijin. Of course, I'll be the one to send you on your way."

"...!"

The wild cheering halted as everyone turned towards the source of the voice. From behind the crowd, a girl with shoulder length hair strutted towards them. She had her hands in her maroon hoodie's pockets, and had an almost boyish scowl on her face. Adachi, also referred to by the locals as the "Slayer", twisted her expression into a confident smirk.

"...You again. You just don’t know when to quit pestering me, do ya?"

"Not until I've made my point, you cocky brat."

The crowd circled around the girls after Adachi forced her way through. Some of the crowd watched in anticipation as the atmosphere intensified. Others simply took the chance to sneak a few snaps of the models while they were facing off with Adachi. Noticing the sudden shift in attention, the Drivers Utopia camera crew quickly grabbed their equipment and prepared for a live stream.

"You’re the one that is being hostile all the time for all the wrong reasons. I mean seriously, what’s your problem?"

"This stage belongs strictly to locals, even you know that. Young outsiders like you have no place and business to drive around here and show off just because you have a more expensive import machine."

"Seriously? All the fuss just because I am NOT born in Japan?" Vanessa responded in disgust. "That’s pretty racist, ya know? I thought Japan’s a free country. You’re really settin’ up to be quite a bad example of the people around here who are at least a lot more civilized than you."

"Shut up!" Adachi clenched her fists and took a step forward, looking down at Vanessa. Vanessa responded in kind, her cheerful expression turned foul. She scowled seriously while looking Adachi in the eye. This serious air around her was unprecedented, and her friends could only stand back and watch how the situation would unfold.

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"...Or what?

"Tonight will be when you realize just how naive it is for you to think we can be trampled by outsiders so easily. It’ll take more than just a lousy Gaijin to beat us in our stage, I’ll give you a schooling so hard that you’ll never deny us of our skills with your arrogance. This is not a THREAT. I GUARANTEE YOUR DEFEAT!

"Suit yourself, Adachi. Just hope you won’t need to toss in some Mac ‘n’ Cheese on those words you just spout once I am through with you."

"Good thing I won’t need to, you wise-cracking-smart ass. A GT-R is far more dangerous than you know...and even you should realize just how much of an icon my machine has become around the world. You’ll realize that it’ll take more than just skills to get the better of me and my ultimate road-killer. Hot-Hatches are NOTHING before the R."

"Ya know... you talk real crazy for a bitch who owns such a big-ass car with so little history backing you." Mayumi had heard enough. She was struggling to stop herself cringing at Adachi's increasingly delusional ramblings.

"...say what?" Adachi flinched slightly before narrowing her eyes and glared at Mayumi. "Say that again...I dare you."

"I didn’t stutter, did I? My gosh you truly are a circus freak show. How about you put your money on where your ignorant pie hole is, if you’re so confident that your precious GTR is gonna waste my friend here? If you've not got enough skill to back your words, why don't you just go fuck yourself and stop wasting everyone's time?

"...Hey, Mayumi. It’s okay. I can --" Vanessa tried to regain control of the situation, but she was cut off.

"Hush, I’ll handle this. Adachi, if you lose tonight’s match, you won’t pester my friend anymore. Got it? I could give a flying fuck about what you and your kiss-ass members do around the streets, but watching Vanessa endure your melodramatic horse shit? Grow up."

Everyone was left shocked by Mayumi's sudden outburst. Ayase seemed especially worried, and tried to talk her out of carrying on before the situation escalated further.

"Fine then. It’s a deal. Better yet, let’s amp this up. Vanessa Anderrson! If you lose tonight’s battle...you quit racing forever and never show your face here at Saitama. If I lose, I’ll give up my GT-R and leave Saitama for good as well. Sounds fair?!

A step late, Ayase shook her head slightly in mild disbelief. The locals were also thrown into a frenzy by the high-stakes bet. While Vanessa considered this offer, Aoi approached her and gave her view of the situation.

"Vanessa...I think you better decline...this is too risky..."

"What’s wrong? You gonna chicken out?!" Overhearing Aoi's words, Adachi shouted at Vanessa, hoping to provoke her into a race. "Or are you confident enough to take on a GT-R with that hatchback of yours?"

After another pause, Vanessa finally stepped forward and faced Adachi with a straight face. Her eyes were serious, and she wore a confident smile.

"CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!"

This response sent the crowd into further chaos, the sounds of cheering and gasping echoed through the mountain. The same could be said for the viewers of the stream. The chat box was rapidly filled with cheering from supporters of both drivers. Adachi was also slightly surprised by Vanessa's response. She recollected her cool before responding.

"...Heh. You’re stupidly arrogant...but at least you got guts..."

"I could say the same thing to you. Let’s get this over with. Shall we?"

The crowds cheered wildly as the two drivers moved their cars into position. The road was soon cleared and the anticipated battle between Adachi's R32 GT-R and Vanessa's Megane was soon underway.

"...are you sure you can handle this?"

"Relax. know what I am doing, chill out, okay? Just wait and see... I got a little surprise up my sleeve for emergencies like these... IF something does go wrong that is."

- つづく -

This post has been edited by Rin on Aug 13 2014, 04:03 PM

Update~

Code 14 - One-Way Road

At Sadamine Pass, the once spread out crowd's attention was now solely focused on two cars, Vanesssa's Megane and Adachi's GT-R. Adachi revved up the RB26, sending the crowd wild with excitement with every howl from the R32's 400hp engine. Even the weather seemed to be affected by the atmosphere, the night gales growing stronger with each passing second.

Vanessa kept the Renault at idle, not at all concerned by the difference in power compared to the R32. She glanced across, and her eyes met with Adachi's. There could not have been a greater contrast between them.

"Look at these people, all blinded by that fancy outsider’s car just because she learns quick...but soon everyone will see truly how inferior you are once I ripped that mask off your arrogant face..." Adachi muttered to herself as she locked her eyes onto Vanessa, who was chatting away with her friends, completely relaxed despite the upcoming race.

"A bit windy, don’t you think?" Vanessa asked as she cocked her head to the side in a cute gesture.

"Wind like this won't affect the car, so just drive as you would normally. I'm not sure what stupid plan you have in mind, but know this." Ayase paused for a moment as she brought her face closer to Vanessa. "Don’t do anything risky on the earlier part of the race. Even if you can’t keep up, there’s no point wasting the tires' grip."

"I know that." Vanessa pulled her face back and took a deep breath. "Well, I may not be an AWD expert, but even I know that nothing good will come out of a dragged on race with a car like the GT-R.

"The car isn't the only factor here, kid. You gotta take advantage of your rival’s emotions too. Clearly she’s shackled by her desire to smoke your ass. When someone’s obsessed with something, they’re bound to make mistakes by acting rash and stupid. And when you’re in a car like the Skyline, you know damn well nothing good will happen if you let your emotions get the better of you."

"Haha, I sure had that same thought too. Since she’s been calling me names all these times. Just makes beating her sorry butt all the sweeter though!" Settling back into the bucket seat, Vanessa gave a confident smile to her friends once more. "Her petty insults don’t even faze me, knowing just how hopelessly obsessed she is."

"Vanessa...whatever happens, please try not to damage your car or hurt yourself too much." Aoi finally spoke up as she noticed Vanessa readying herself for the race. "I really don’t see what’s the point of all the discrimination..."

"Aw, don’t worry, white bird!" Before Aoi could finish voicing her concern, Vanessa interrupted. "I can handle this blonde-dyed twat by myself. I promise I won’t push myself too hard, kay?"

"…Alright then...do your best." Reluctantly, Aoi stepped away from the Renault.

"Alright, step aside, I'm gonna do the countdown now!" Mayumi announced at the top of her voice, becoming the focus of the crowd. Proudly strutting between the two cars, both arms raised, openly flaunting her ample chest and seductive body to the cameras as she aligned the two cars at the start.

"Umm...Adachi..." Megu hurriedly ran up to the R32 for a last minute conversation "What if you really --"

"Shut up." Adachi swiftly dismissed Megu's question. "I won’t lose. Don’t you dare doubt my abilities. I am your leader and I won’t let our team’s reputation rust away with me losing in front of these people. Got it? I’ll show that midget just how out of her league she is. She’ll learn the true harshness of racing on the streets...!!"

"...this is so not like you, Adachi..." Megu whispered under her breath as she slowly backed away from her leader.

"10 SECONDS TO BEGIN!!!"

The crowd whooped and cheered wildly at Mayumi's announcement. Ayase simply watched from afar while Aoi tried to take more photos of the two cars.

"9, 8, 7, 6, 5!"

Adachi once again shifted her focus to Vanessa, glaring at her with an even more intense hatred. The calm and confident expression Vanessa wore compounded Adachi's rage, so much so that it drowned out all other noises. Her only focus now was to completely destroy Vanessa's reputation as a racer.

"…4, 3, 2, 1, GO!!!"

On Mayumi's signal, both cars scrambled off the line in a flurry of revs and tire smoke. The R32 hooked up instantly, catapulting ahead. The Renault struggled to get its power down initially, but Vanessa quickly shifted into 2nd to control the wheel spin.

"And there she goes..." Ayase casually walked up to Mayumi and watched as the two cars disappear into the darkness.

"Welp, let’s hope the kid has the bite to back up her bark..."

Standing further away from the two models, who were starting to attract a small crowd on their own, Aoi's camera had stopped clicking, and her normally peaceful face had started to cloud over with concern.

The race continued as the cars charged downhill. Adachi, in the lead, attacked the first corner at full speed, making the most of her advantage off the line. Vanessa was slowly falling behind by 10 meters, the Megane simply unable to match the GT-R on the straights.

"Heh, as I thought...there’s no way you can catch up with the raw power delivered by this monster. To hell with your memorizing ability! In Sadamine and Shoumaru, I am untouchable. You have no hope in hell, outsider!!" Adachi laughed confidently as she shifted up into 5th as quickly as possible. The R32 begins to pull ahead once again. Vanessa tucks in behind the R32, only just closing the gap due to the draft.

"Whew...this is rough. So that’s why the GT-R’s feared. That thing sure can fly in straights. But I already know that...so I won’t get demotivated so easily, punk!" After reassuring herself, Vanessa gritted her teeth and prepared to take the first corner.

Going into the left hander, the R32 dived for the apex, violently shifting the weight to the front in a late braking move. Adachi going all out without hesitation, as well as her extremely aggressive line left the spectating locals in awe.

"Wow...! Such dynamic handling! The R really is a monster machine!" A member of the crowd gasped as he watched the GT-R brush the inner guardrail.

"I think I just saw flames coming out of the exhausts just now! That thing’s exit speed is insane!" Another man from the crowd shouted, his tense voice barely audible over the sound of tortured tires and the GT-R's howling engine.

"It’s no wonder why Adachi is feared! That thing’s literally a rule-breaker in street racing! Look at the thing go!"

"Wait...here comes the other one!"

Barely a second later, the high revving Renault arrived, hot on the heels of the R32. However, what surprised the crowd was that not only was the Megane able to keep up, its corner speeds seemed to be even higher than that of the GT-R. Vanessa carefully adjusted her steering, coming perilously close to clipping the inner barrier, before quickly straightening the wheel and setting off in pursuit of the GT-R, with the gap noticeably smaller after just one corner.

"Whoa, that car’s...."

"Oh man! That thing just plowed through the curve and closed the gap like that! Just how many horses does that import have?"

"It must’ve been tuned to perfection, that’s for sure. You have to work real hard to actually keep up with a GT-R on mountain roads, especially with an FF."

The two cars battled on in a relentless game of leapfrog, the R32 pulled away in the straights, but the Renault would close the gap under braking. However, there was no escaping the fact that Vanessa was closing the gap at a phenomenal rate. Under pressure, Adachi's driving became increasingly erratic, straining her tires even further in the hope of keeping the heavier R32 in the lead. Vanessa watched as the R32 struggled for grip, backing off the throttle slightly and controlling the tires. Exiting the tight series of corners, the road opened out to a long straight. Vanessa backs off slightly, letting the R32 rocket away towards the hairpin ahead.

"Humph...as I thought, the R is faster through these wide sections. In the end an FF is still just an FF." Adachi sneered confidently, watching Vanessa disappear in her hear view mirror. "Even with strong tuning done to that engine of yours, it won’t match the raw power of this thing. And on low speed hairpin exits, this car is FAR superior to every other machine! I’ve readjusted the gears to match the low speed section, just for this battle!"

"Please tell me I was right..." Vanessa muttered to herself. She was watching the R32's movements very closely, keeping a set distance away, waiting for something to happen.

At the hairpin, the crowd watching waited with baited breath as the echoing engine roars grew louder. The R32 peered over the horizon, its headlights blinding the audience. Adachi braked hard, but something was clearly wrong. The speed she carried into the turn was far too high, and the GT-R was struggling to lose speed. Pitched forward, brakes screaming, Adachi overshot the corner entry and was barely able to avoid hitting the crowd. Seeing her run wide, Vanessa instantly took action. She effortlessly slid into the inner lane, hugging the apex as she watched Adachi understeer into the outer lane.

"No you don’t!!!" Taking advantage of the new adjustments, Adachi wrestled with the steering wheel, fighting the understeer as she fired out of the corner, barely scraping the outer guardrail. She breathed a sigh of relief, but with the Megane now only 5 meters behind, she was struggling to find her rhythm again.

"Dang it! I should’ve known...gear ratio readjustments. Alright, that didn’t work out...next plan!"

Vanessa couldn't lament over the failure to take the lead for too long, as the R32's newfound acceleration meant that she was getting left behind on corner exits. The battle reentered its previous rhythm, the distance between the two cars kept at a steady 5 meters. Soon, they arrived at a tight and narrow series of corners. The cars zipped through the rough and scarred tarmac without letting up at all. Adachi adapted to the change in pace almost instantly, though to the eyes of the onlookers, it felt like she was still battling the GT-R at every corner. Vanessa was having a hard time keeping up. She could hear the car's bodywork scrape against the rutted road, and the much stiffer Megane bouncing her around didn't help either. All she could do now was try and close the gap and aim for a second chance.

Both cars quickly reached the last corner of the first section, and what lay ahead was a long straight leading into the 2nd section. Seeing this as her chance to finish the battle once and for all, Adachi tried to escape the Renault, being cautious of her braking zones this time. She managed the R32's slight understeer, and as soon as she caught sight of the road opening up…

"You’re done, Gaijin! Know your place!!"

Adachi mercilessly floored the throttle, though the R32 was still not properly positioned yet. The instant burst of power overpowered the rear tires briefly, before launching Adachi down the straight. Vanessa could only sit and watch as all her effort to close the gap was demolished in a single moment.

"...It’s no good huh...guess I’ll have to make do with keeping up...the next checkpoint is a high speed section, and I can’t do much with such a power difference." Vanessa sighed, adjusting her line to mimic Adachi.

At the peak of Sadamine, the crowd were gathered around a laptop, watching the live coverage while listening out for updates from the radio.

"The R32 is leading strong, but the Megane is still putting up a fight. They have a gap of 40 meters between each other!"

On hearing the update, the silent crowd quickly became a mass of inaudible chatter, everyone giving their prediction of the race. Aoi watched the crowd debate, while listening in to Ayase and Mayumi's conversation.


"As I thought, the R is just too much on straights." Mayumi sighed, taking a seat on the Chaser's bonnet.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. And who gave you permission to sit here?" Ayase replied in a mocking tone, nudging her friend on the shoulder playfully. "Given how large the power difference is, even with the engine tune up, it's no surprise. I’d rather have her deal with the curves since that’s where the R32 is lacking, well...where this R32 is lacking, at least. And the driver definitely not the brightest either.."

"…Which is why this battle isn’t a 100% lost cause. I for one am willing to put my money on the kid since I know she’s not too stupid to make choices that would ruin her own chance of winning." Mayumi concluded confidently.

"...don’t overdo it, Vanessa..." Aoi whispered as she slowly turned her gaze down the road, praying for her friend's safe return.

Beyond the first checkpoint, the R32's confident lead was slowly increasing, the high speed section heavily favoring Adachi's new adjustments. After a series of gentle corners will be the end of the second sector, marked by a wide hairpin. Both were giving it their all, everything from their line on the road to the timing of their gearshift was judged with incredible accuracy, leaving nothing to chance. Despite Vanessa's efforts, clipping every apex, minimising steering inputs and shifting as near peak power as possible, the gap between the cars refused to shrink.

"This is bad...I am already on the limit and I still couldn’t keep up. Heh...if it wasn’t for the draft I would’ve been left in dust by now...as I thought the R is a traction monster. However..." Vanessa gripped the wheel tight, the usual confident expression returning to her face. "There is no miscalculation...the rear tires of the that GT-R are clearly giving in."

The R32 charged down the final straight of section two, squirming slightly as Adachi relentlessly accelerated out of the previous corner. Adachi was confident that this was her victory. Beyond this point, the Megane will be left for dead. As such, surely the victor can be allowed the pleasure of a bit of showboating? Thinking that, she allowed the R32 to squirm, letting the power overwhelm the rear tires to please the crowd. On seeing Adachi's R32 roar down towards them, the crowd gathered at the hairpin started whooping in excitement.

Vanessa readies herself as the hairpin approached, adjusting her line slightly so her car was centered to the road. Gritting her teeth, she makes a final adjustment to her line and, as soon as the R32 braked, she made her move.

"Here goes...!!"

The R32 braked hard, keeping to the outer lane for an out-in-out approach. Vanessa on the other hand tried to kept her lining centered, concealing her movements from Adachi as best she could.

"Not many people can clear this wide hairpin as fast as I can...!" Adachi smirked boastfully, not paying any attention to Vanessa. "Even now I am going beyond 150 km/h! That Gaijin can never match the cornering speed of this machine! The traction this has is far beyond that of any potato FRs out there!"

Sure enough, the R32 held on to its lead, despite Vanessa's best efforts, keeping her car at a steady 140km/h, still observing Adachi as she pulled away. Both cars dashed towards the third section, but the sound of tire squeal was rapidly echoing through the mountains. It was the unmistakable sound of understeer. Vanessa couldn't help but snigger slightly. The window she was aiming for had finally opened.

"Whoa! The R32...is slowly being caught by that green car!" The commentators remarked in shock as they watched Vanessa's advance on live stream.

"Just how fast is THAT machine? How can a GT-R be slower than that small car in corners! The R32’s traction should’ve overpowered that thing!" Disbelief and awe filled the parking area as the news of Vanessa's potential victory spread.

Leading the race, Adachi allowed herself to take a glance at the rear mirrors.

"What?! No way!!" The stubborn and unyielding Megane was getting closer by the second, as though it was mocking her efforts to shake Vanessa off.

"Don't let your sense for your tires get sloppy yet, blondie! You’re still too young to be smokin’ rubber on the streets!" Vanessa pushed harder, closing the gap further still. Adachi's car was becoming increasingly wayward, the swaying from Adachi's corrections compounding the situation. The Megane, on the other hand, still had decent tires which were definitely fairing better with less power.

"…after clearing this hairpin, her R32’s tires will give in, but it’s not like I have much left either...even this sets of tires I chose has a physical limit...if I had to make a move it’s gotta be very soon or I will be screwed. Come on...just give me an opening!" Frustration was building up, Adachi was still doing all she could to keep the Megane behind her, determined to hold out until Vanessa burns out her tires as well.

Exiting the curve, the Renault caught up even more. This time, the gap closes up to just 15 meters, much to the shock of the crowd. That a front wheel drive car could be so resilient was unprecedented to some of the locals, more so when it's being driven by a foreigner.

Adachi, too focused on managing the GT-R, thought she had lost the Megane, and was still smirking confidently.

"Heh...how is that for handling curves, outsider! There’s no way you can--" She quickly glanced behind her as she settled down on the straight, the realisation that she was losing her lead cut her cocky speech short. "...no bloody way!"

There was no doubt, this was Adachi's worse nightmares played out in real time. A foreigner mounting such a fierce assault on her turf, and she was completely powerless against it. In denial, Adachi tried to find her rhythm again, but the R32's deteriorating handling was making it impossible.

"Gah, you freak!!" Abandoning any hope of finding the rhythm, resorting to the GT-R's power to maintain the gap. She exited the corner and fought the car as it struggled to put its power down, accelerating to over 150km/h in a quick burst.

"Come on...make a mistake!!" Vanessa piled on the pressure, exiting the corner at an even higher speed than the Nissan.

"I won’t allow myself to get humiliated by you in front of these people...!!" Adachi forced the R32 sideways and floored it, 400hp overwhelmed what remained of the tires and once again the gap increased, only to be lost again at the gentle sweepers that lead up to the third section. The tires were barely coping with the high G corners, allowing the Renault to make up all the time lost in the straights.

The cars raced down the third checkpoint, heading towards a challenging kink in the pass. It was a hammerhead section where most the crowd had gathered, and was renown among the locals as the corner that tested the true skill of drivers, due to its steep and narrow nature as well as high entry speed.

"The next checkpoint has that stinking hammerhead. I remember the first time I nearly crashed that place..." Vanessa remarked, thinking back to her first run with slight embarrassment. "In her current state, she’s no different to how I was then...I can only hope pressing on is gonna upset her already unstable emotions. With my car in this state, I really can’t muscle my way through that big-ass engine, so it'll be my best bet."

Both cars blasted down the narrow road at over 160km/h, Adachi having a few near misses with the guardrails as she tried her best to block Vanessa. As soon as the corner came into view, both slammed on the brakes with everything they had, trying to counteract their momentum from the downhill charge.

"Please don’t fail now!" Entrusting everything to the Megane, Vanessa held onto the brakes until the last possible moment for maximum trail braking effect. The outer tires were giving in under the huge pressure as the car veered about, unsettled by the surface of the road. The R32 was fairing worse, barely able to turn into the corner. Despite everything, Adachi could not avoid leaning on the railings to take the corner.

"Oh shit!!" Adachi fought the wheel hard, trying to avoid the concrete and the spectators as they scrambled away from the road.

"As I thought, her car’s got way too much power and weight....in a critical situation such as this, not even 1000 horses can save you from the treacherous terrain of this pass... But if I don’t take advantage now, I might as well join her in the accident...!!" She laughed off her nervousness, focusing on nursing her car through the gap created by the crash.

"NO! This can’t be happening!!!" The R32 continued to grind against the guardrails, spraying spark in the face of the cowering spectators. "NO!!!! I can still fight!! This isn’t over-"

A sickening crunch echoed into the depths of the mountain.

The GT-R, still going 100km/h, buried its nose head on into the guardrail. Adachi's world blurred out, feeling a very blunt impact pound her in the forehead before it dissipated into the darkness. The car was stopped instantly, smoke gushing out of the front. The R32’s front hood was cleaved inward down the center.

"Well, that’s what happens if you add power irresponsibly, I suppose..." Vanessa spoke softly, cruising the rest of the way to the finish line.

The stunned silence from the crowd gathered around Adachi was unnerving. They were all still in a state of shock after witnessing the dramatic end to the race. No one dared to speak, and no one dared to move. It was only until they realised Adachi's injuries that they snapped out of their daze.

"Everyone, we gotta get her outta there!!" The crowd hurriedly wrenched Adachi from the wreckage, before finally calling for help.

"W-WHAT?! Adachi’s R32 crashed at the third checkpoint’s hammerhead section!?" The commentary finally spoke in a voice of outrage.

The news pricked the ears of everyone present. The murmurs of fear and worry spread throughout the parking area. Shock was the only way to describe the expression on Ayase and Mayumi's face.

"Is she alright? I see, what about Vanessa Andersson? ...oh alright...thanks...for the report." The member of staff turned to the crowd. "Adachi crashed on the third checkpoint..and Vanessa has reached the final checkpoint all by herself...the race...is over. Vanessa won."

Chaos and uproar reverberated through the mountain on hearing the announcement. Shock, disbelief, relief as well as overwhelming happiness and sadness spread amongst the people.

"...Well damn...never knew it'd end like THAT." Ayase laughed bitterly, getting into the Chaser.

"...Can’t say we didn’t warn her about being overconfident..." Mayumi replied in an indifferent tone, walking towards her Evo to make a quick getaway before the crowd started to leave.

"Thank goodness..." Aoi could only breath a sigh of relief, "Vanessa is alright..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

9:57 PM at Irohazaka. The night was eerily still, clouded over and a heavy atmosphere of anticipation hung over the parking area. The distant sounds of drivers practicing echoed up the pass, providing a fitting backdrop to the small groups of racers engrossed in discussion.

But the center of attention was focused around a team of three, with a following similar to that of an idol, the three men were swamped by people. Behind the three men were their cars. Lined up side by side and gleaming immaculately under the streetlights was an orange Nissan Z32, a dark blue R33 GT-R and a black Honda S2000. The crowd cornered the three, everyone hoping to catch a glimpse of them. From answering simple questions to shaking hands and signing autographs, this three man team coolly marched through the crowd, some answering their fan's questions, while others simply stayed silent.

The youngest of the three, also the most active in mingling with the fans, was the man in a turtleneck, Genma Sakamoto. A burning charm exuded from his prideful face as he smiled and signed autographs. Shin Imai, the cold and calm driver of the R33, left Genma to the crowd. Approaching team leader Mutsu Busujima, Shin took his hands out of his pilot-jacket and rested it on the S2000 driver's shoulder. They silently observed Genma as he made his way through each of the fans.

"Hahaha, one at a time, ladies. No need to rush. That’s right. I have nothing but time!" The crowd of girls went wild once more as he turned to pose for a photo. Watching the entire ordeal unfold, Genma's team mates could only feel a sense of fondness for the ever-popular poster boy of the Defense Line. Other drivers too looked towards Genma, but with mixed emotions among the crowd.

"Look at them. They all look so tough and invincible when they’re together like that." A man from the crowd commented with a slight hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Yeah. I wish someday I can be part of their big circle." The person beside him answered in a demotivated tone, nodding slowly.

"The proud feeling of being able to protect your home ground from outsiders like a warrior...heh. How I wish I can be like that too..." Another member of the crowd looked towards Genma, his eyes full of admiration for the defense line drivers.

"Genma is just so handsome!! Sigh...how I wish I was her girlfriend." A racer commented, watching her friends disappear into the crowd as they joined the frenzy.

"Hey, he’s probably got tons of girlfriends already."

"I don’t care! That man is just awesome! I am willing to take the chance!" She pouted slighty before jumping in to join the hype, leaving a generally bitter mood around the isolated boys.

Behind the idol-levels of attention the poster boy of Irohazaka was getting, Shin and Mutsu were busy discussing more important matters.

"I cannot believe Setsuna went down just like that...just who is this Saburo Misaka anyway?" Shin began, his voice as quiet as possible to keep the discussion private.

"Be on the lookout for a black 180SX. That’s our target. If he shows up tonight, we WILL give him a direct warning." Mutsu replied sternly. He glanced towards the empty forth parking slot, narrowing his eyes as he recalled the name of the person who was now missing from the team. "Setsuna’s downfall was not unexpected. She lost simply because she underestimated this man. But rest assured, we won’t make the same mistake."

"So how is she now?"

"She is under probation. Unless she can prove her worth the next time she go against him or his comrades in future, I have no use in keeping her on the team."

"Humph. Cruel as always, Mutsu."

"It’s the rule of us Defense Line Aces. We only keep those that serve as shields for our respective stages. Anyone who falls out of line with that can stay as commoners here."

"Well, whatever. But if that guy shows up tonight...I will personally dig his grave and shoot his streak down right here, burying it for good. Setsuna and I may not be well acquainted but she’s still a comrade."

"Do as you wish...just don’t let up on him..."

"I know..." Shin grumbled in an irritated manner.

From the bottom of the pass, an indistinct echoing of engines broke up the chatter in the parking area. Everyone was silenced as they waited for the approaching cars to peer above the horizon, waiting for the three pairs of headlights to come close enough to be identified. However, the three aces steeled their expressions, having no doubts as to who was arriving.

"...this engine sound..." Shin looked across to his team mates, and seeing Genma nod as if confirming his suspicions, he grimaced and directed Mutsu's attention towards the approaching cars.

"Well well...look who’s about to show up." Getting up, the two seniors of the defense line made their way to the entry of the car park, ready to meet the unwelcomed visitors. From the horizon came three cars.

On the left lane, a red wide-body Toyota Supra RZ, beside it is another Supra, a purple JZA70 Turbo A. They silently advanced down the road, a worried chatter spreading towards the car park as they approached. But they were seen as secondary to the eyes of everyone around. The car driving between the two lanes of the road was the center of attention. A black Nissan 180SX that exuded a presence like no other, giving off an intimidating sense of purpose that was felt by everyone. It rumbled through the parking lot and headed directly towards the three men, ignoring everyone else around.

"Oh crap, it’s him!"

"The same 180SX that wrecked Gripping Maiden!"

"Oh great, here we go...!"

The crowd, shocked by this sudden development, watched as the 180SX's door swung open. The infamous figure stepped out. Brown hair, heterochromic eyes, trademark annoyed expression. There was no doubting who this was. Saburo Misaka, the first racer to deal a blow to the pride of the Defense Line. Behind him, the drivers of the Supras got out and exchanged a quick greeting with each other before joining Saburo.

Silently examining the crowd, Sakuya narrows her eyes and takes in the hostile atmosphere, paying very little attention to the glares aimed at them.

"Well well...aren’t we glamorous?" Hatori chuckled sarcastically as she stretches her arms after the long drive.

"Zip it, Four-eyes. This isn't the time." Sakuya hissed with a stern voice. She then turned her gaze towards the three men walking towards them. The crowd went wild once again as Genma finally finished his autograph session and joined with the rest of the defense line drivers to meet Saburo.

"Genma!! Show that jerk who’s boss!!"

"Imai!! Don’t lose to those bastards!"

"Show them that you guys are the real deal!! Don’t let them mess with us on our turf!!!"

"Yeah, show them you’re the heroes of this mountain!"

Completely unaffected by the one sided support and cheering from the locals, Saburo made his way through the empty parking lot, with an irritated expression on his face.

"Sakuya...Hatori... I’ll handle the talking. No complaints, okay?"

"But Saburo..." Sakuya protested, but before she could finish, Hatori interrupted.

"No worries, Princess!" Patting her on the shoulder, Hatori pulled Sakuya away from Saburo.

"...okay then." Sakuya sulked before backing away to watch from afar.

Saburo confronted the three Aces, the tension reaching its peak as they came within arm's reach of each other. The weight of the atmosphere was so great that it quashed all of the cheering, no one daring to interrupt the face off.

"That’s the guy who destroyed Setsuna....tch, bastard..."

"How dare he...! Messing with our idols like that! Who the hell does he think he is, trampling on other people’s turf?"

Ignoring the crowd’s cold glares as they circled around him, Saburo finally let out a sigh, sliding his hands into his pockets and smirked at the situation he has landed in.

"Oi...oi...what’s the big idea here, throwing a parade for you lot and your false heroic? I came all the way here to look for the guy responsible for messing with the roads...and for all that trouble, what do I see? Three pitiful looking losers who take themselves too seriously."

Hearing this bold remark, the locals were instantly at a loss for words and, seeing the reaction from the three aces, decided collectively to back off.

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"You’re not funny, kid." Mutsu stepped in. He glared straight into Saburo's fearless eyes. His cold, resolute expression unfazed by Saburo's taunt.

"You clowns are the only ones being funny here." Almost immediately, Saburo set about taunting the aces again.

"Do you really think winning against Setsuna Mikami alone prove anything significant?"

"Humph, for a monkey that looks like he suffered a serious case of insomnia, you sure talk big, don’t you?" Genma sneered as he brushed aside a small strand of hair from his eyes.

"...don’t think you can get away with humiliating the Aces." Shin joined in, his prideful voice echoing through the car park. "I am just waiting for a chance to teach you a lesson."

"You see...no one here in this gallery likes you, leave alone bothering to play nice with you, especially considering what you did on the 5th of July. So what unpleasant mess are you going to bring this time in the middle of our meeting, kid?

"Take a guess." Disregarding Mutsu's question, Saburo simply replied in a sarcastic tone, not even bothering to elaborate.

"Watch it, newbie!" Genma barked, unable to stand being toyed with.

"Bite me." Again, Saburo dismissed the Ace's complaints and carried on with his interrogation. "Which one of you here is the one named Shin Imai?"

The locals were now completely fixated on the confrontation. Saburo's blunt approach surprised many of them, but the mixed reaction from the defense line was equally unexpected. Irohazaka fell silent as Saburo's request rang in the car park. Letting out a small sigh, Shin gave in and spoke up.
"...I am. So you’re going after me next?" He looked into Saburo's eyes briefly and sternly, as though challenging him.

"You’re not very bright, are you, kid?" Mutsu laughed coldly. "Do you even realize just how little chance you have against us? Shin Imai and his R33 cannot be compared to Setsuna in the RX-8. I am curious as to what makes you so confident."

"Predictable as clockwork. Your lackeys always have the tendency to run their big mouths off before failing miserably. Somehow I doubt your double goons here would be any different."

"What was that?!" The hot blooded Z32 driver spat, outraged.

"You did not just said that..." Shin sighed in disbelief, reaching across and grabbing Genma's clenched fist before he had a chance to raise it.

"Humph...if you want to go against us so much...then tell me...what is it that you hate about us that makes you want to pick us off, one by one?" Still unfazed, Mutsu retained his calm expression as he tried to discover more about Saburo's motives.

"No particular reason...I just don’t like you lot hogging the stage with fake heroics...that’s all." Saburo shrugged. "Quite frankly, at first I didn’t give a damn, but after years of watching you lot doing the same stupid charade over and over again...I am sick and tired of the whole defense line system...especially when you keep forcing it onto people who had nothing to do with it at first place."

"Humph! Weak ones should stay back and stop blocking our paths! That’s the rule of this world. If no one governs these monkeys, there’ll be no order on these public street." Genma reasoned passionately, raising his hand and voice as he spoke. "Don’t you see? There’s no true freedom in this world unless you’re willing to accept it! And clearly, you’re in no place to speak of heroism here when you barely even possess any!"

"...You guys are pathetic, you know that...?" Saburo sighed, his cold expression twisted into a slight sneer. "You talk about heroism, yet all I see here is a few sad individuals with a bit more power at their disposal posing, as leaders in front of the weaker ones. That being what made you clowns so weak at first place." He ruffled his hair and cracked his knuckles nonchalantly despite the serious surroundings.

"Why you?!" Genma had heard enough. To have his pride to be repeatedly trampled on by this brazened outsider was beyond unacceptable. He brutally grabbed Saburo by the collar of his shirt, his handsome face contorted with rage.

"That’s enough, Genma..."

Stopped again, Genma pushed Saburo away in frustration. Face bright red with anger and eyes flared with rage, he stormed away to Shin's side.

"This conversation is over...Saburo Misaka, right?" Mutsu asked as he turned his back to Saburo.

"If you can climb your way up to me...To reward your dedication and courage in decimating the Defense Line...I’ll let you know two pieces of useful information that will serve you well in the future. Fair enough?"

"Whatever. I don’t give a shit. So are we gonna race now or what?"

"Humph…" Walking away, Mutsu let out an uncharacteristic smirk. "Genma...Shin...we’re leaving..."

"Just like that?" Grabbing his leader's arm, Shin couldn't help but question why they pulled out.

"I got his email address through the logs of the BBS. Once we’re ready to make a move on him...we’ll send him the challenge. The meeting is ruined thanks to him and we’re not 100% ready yet either."

"Tch...fine then...stupid punk." Genma spat as he glared at Saburo from afar. "He thinks he can steal my thunder just like that? I’ll definitely make that monkey pay for this tenfold...!"

Getting into their cars, the three aces of the defense line made their way out of the car park. Unsatisfied, Genma vented his frustration on the Z32's tires, doing donuts and burnouts at the entrance and smearing the parking area in a thick fog of smoke. After the locals had stopped cheering from the rare spectacle of seeing their ace relieving himself of his frustration, the focus soon fell back to Saburo, Sakuya and Hatori.


"Ah crap...they ran away, Prince." Hatori teased, chuckling in Saburo's ear. "So what do we do now? Chase them?"

"...Those punks sure talk big. How fitting for these self-righteous bastards." Sakuya commented in disdain.

"Leave them be. At least we made contact with them...For a meantime, we’ll focus on preparing our machines...there’s nothing for us to do now that our targets are lost. Let’s leave..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sadamine, Saitama. The time was now 10:30 AM, but despite the early hours, the mountain was already echoing to the sounds of high performance cars. The hype and shock from yesterday's battle had already worn off, and the main event, the time trials, were already underway.

At the peak of the pass, Aoi waited, camera in hand, for a chance to take a snap of the cars charging through the finish line. She watched calmly as an R34 Skyline roared across the line. It had broken the record for the 4WD category, and there was an uproar as it entered the pits. Wanting to take a better photo of it, she leaves her post and chases after it. The R34 was tastefully modified, featuring a Nismo R-Tune body kit with a Z-Tune bonnet. The aggressive look was further emphasised by its silver RE30s, complimenting its Bayside Blue body. Getting up close, Aoi spotted the name of the driver on the rear quarter window.

"P. Walker…I'll remember that name." Aoi whispered as she glanced up to the skies.

From afar, a familiar howl of a highly tuned engine accompanied by the high pitched squeal from hard braking and tortured tires echoing up the pass brought Aoi's focus back to the task in hand. Hurriedly heading back to her position by the finish line, she made it just in time to see the competitor clear the last corner.

The car that shot out of the corner was a Toyota Chaser. It squirmed slightly as the driver skillfully controlled the car's urge to carry on oversteering, and blasted pass Aoi before she had a chance to take a photo. A quick glance at the timing gear showed that the Chaser had completely shattered the previous record in the RWD class, and was placing in the top 50 of some hundreds of participants.

Aoi breathed out in disbelief and approached the Chaser for a proper photo. It sat on Enkei RPF1s, which were emphasised by the Kunnyz fender flares. The side skirts were carbon fiber, its beautifully simple form left bare and unpainted for the world to see. However, the most...eye catching feature of all was that the entire car was finished in the brightest possible shade of Passionate Pink imaginable. There was no doubt in Aoi's mind, this car was driven to the top of the leaderboard by none other than Ayase Tsurugi, the very same person who was happily modelling for fashion magazines a few days ago.

After searching the area briefly, Aoi found her friend. She was drenched in sweat, her clothes clung to her well proportioned body but she seemed to be too busy arguing with someone to care.

"Dad, how many times have I told you to replace those goddamn brake pads?! I told you I can't brake for shit if you leave my car unmaintained like that!" Ayase roar at the top of her voice at a middle aged man. He was crouched on the road just inches away from the Chaser's razor sharp canards, with a slightly perplexed look on his face.

"Those 'goddamn brakes' never failed me once in the whole six years I've owned it, yet they start failing the moment you get hold of it, are you sure it's not just you? I know you've been taking an interest in boys lately, but just because you can't get them doesn't mean you can just take it out on the car, sweetheart." Dusting himself off, Ayase's father adjusted his aviators, let out a sigh and started work on the Toyota, with his daughter still complaining in the background.

Their little spat had drawn quite a lot of attention towards them, and the locals chatted amongst themselves as they watched on. Some of the crowd recognised the idol and were busy admiring her, while others had their eyes on the rather scrawny man. They recognised him as the owner of Osmium Racing and tuner of some of the fastest four door cars in Japan, Hidekazu Tsurugi.

Diverting her attention away from Ayase's uncharacteristic and one sided bickering, Aoi carried on taking photos of the record breaking Chaser. Seeing Hidekazu make adjustments to the suspension, Aoi politely shuffled away from the car. She smiled faintly at the sight of Ayase's relentless complaining and Hidekazu who simply turned a blind eye to the noise.

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"Anyway…last night sure was quite a show. Never thought it would subside so quickly though..." Finished with her moaning, Ayase turned to Aoi, hoping to kill some time while her dad toiled away.

"Well...the locals that supported Adachi definitely didn't like the result. So there’s no blaming them for this."

"Pretty much." Ayase stretched her arms and frowned slightly when her joints clicked. "At least I think before I act."

"...hmm." Not too convinced, Aoi's eyes wandered around as she tried to move the conversation onwards. Her eyes landed on the small man poking out from under the Chaser.

"Oh, tell me you're nearly finished with what you're doing there, I want to do the downhill now." Already tired of waiting, Ayase started her complaining again. She squatted down by her father's side and pouted as she waited for him to reply.

"Almost done, young lady...can’t rush my final checks." Hidekazu groaned as he struggled to get out from under the car.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Letting out a sigh, Ayase changed the topic. "Good thing Mayumi isn’t here yet... at last, fresh air and a peace of mind. Also, how's Vanessa doing right now?"

"Don’t need to worry about that child. After all, she did defeat that...Adachi or whoever you call that GT-R woman, right? GT-Rs and their drivers sure have changed a lot compared to my days on the streets." Taking a seat on the road next to his daughter, the 50 year old man reached for a can of beer as he reminisced. Before he could open it, Ayase snatched the can from his hands and tossed it out onto the course, where it was promptly crushed by a passing racer. Hidekazu slowly took his aviators off, staring at her with a stunned look in his eyes.

"…Anyway." Ayase swiftly moved on, pretending that nothing had happened. "Yeah, she did win, but sometimes I can’t help but feel she’s being too risky for her own good."

"You're almost like her big sister, Ayase...always so concerned about the younger ones, even though you're hardly in a position to comment." Hidekazu teased after recovering from the shock of losing his drink.

"Hey, get off my case, car maintenance is your job, not mine. My job is to look pretty and smash records for you because the only thing you'd smash would be your bones." Unaffected by his teasing, the model replied nonchalantly before she turned her eyes to the finish line once more.

Cheering and hooting could be heard further down the pass, and Vanessa emerged from the trees and crossed the finish line, laying down an impressive 4:08.155 on her uphill run. A light beep from a flat screen TV showed the updated leaderboard, placing Vanessa 11th in her class.

"Wow...impressive." Ayase commented after a quick greeting. She quickly scanned the times on the leaderboard, noticing that Vanessa's even faster downhill time of 4:01.333 had landed her into the top ten.

"Yeah...that’s a Gold division time, according to this scale." Aoi joined in as she took in the information flashing up on the screen. "She's really improved her time after spending a few days constantly practicing here."

"Well then, you better come in the top five at the very least, Ayase. If you can't even manage that, then I guess you're job from now on is just to look pretty. I'm sure your mother knows my tastes well enough to dress you up properly." Hidekazu smiled at Ayase lecherously before feeling a very blunt impact cripple him. Ayase had executed a textbook roundhouse kick, her shoe firmly planting itself into Hidekazu's stomach. He writhed around barely able to make a noise, as though he was gagging on the pain. Ayase ignored her father's antics, her face bright red from the teasing.

"Still…" Catching his breath, Hidekazu slowly got up, still slightly dizzy from the powerful kick. "Her Megane is by no means powerful, so you can claw back a lot of time in the high speed sections."

"I know that. It’s just that being placed under same category, you can still perform on such a level. It’s impressive.

Vanessa hurriedly parked the Megane next to the Chaser and rushed out, eager to chat about the days' progress with her friends.

"She’s a feisty one..." The old man couldn't help but feel his age seeing Vanessa's cheerful behaviour.

"Well...I wish she can direct her energy more sparingly if possible..." Aoi quietly replied before approaching the ecstatic girl. She truly wished that Vanessa would calm down sometimes, her attitude made it awfully easy for her to get caught up in other people's problems.

"Hey, Ayase! Did you see me there?!" Vanessa eagerly asked as she left the cheering crowd behind. Much as she enjoyed being the center of the attention, there was only so many compliments she could take before it became too much for her ego to bear.

"I only saw the result of the run. And color me impressed, kid. You have quite the talent for memorizing the course, it seems."

"Thanks, hehe! Anyway, it’s your turn later...are you ready?"

"Well, we're waiting for this man over here." Ayase casually pointed to her father, who had managed to sneak a drink despite being under her stringent watch. "Say hi to Hidekazu Tsurugi, my shithead of a father."

"Hello there!!" Cheerful as usual, Vanessa openly approached the slightly red-faced man, not knowing what to expect.

"Greetings, feisty one." Hidekazu replied in a lazy voice, resting his can of beer on the Chaser's hood.

"Me?"

"Yeah..." Taking his time to savor the beer's taste, Hidekazu paused for a moment before he started talking again. "What happened to Adachi though? You know, that R32 girl you beat last night? I heard there was an accident, yes?"

"At the hammerhead section. Seriously, even I was shocked, but I managed to avoid a direct crash with her. I bet she must be pret-ty pissed by now even in hospital. She’s wounded, and her R’s trashed, but the parts are always replaceable if you’ve money. No hard feelings though." The hyperactive girl answered in a very energetic voice. She spoke so quickly, Hidekazu struggled to decipher her rapid speech.

"Are you a fan of hers?"

"Pffft...As if!" Laughing heartily, the tuning veteran brushed his hair aside and flashed a charming smile to the girls. "I am not interested in brats...even if I was, no other brat would interest me more than my brattiest of brats, right Ayase?"

Vanessa couldn't help but laugh at the rare sight of Ayase's face flushed red with anger.

"Forget about her. Who cares what a sore loser like her thinks anyway...she’s beaten and that’s that. Let’s move this on, shall we?" Having taken enough damage to her pride for one day, Ayase grabbed the Chaser's keys and fired up her pride and joy again.

"I suppose I am glad that such individuals are still present here...people who are special in this ‘world’..." Aoi whispered to herself before quickly taking a few more photos of her friends around the Chaser.

The ex-demo car of Osmium Racing was finally ready to perform its second run of the day. Lined up on the downhill starting point, Ayase performed a few more checks while waiting for the countdown to start.

"Easy on the brakes, Ayase. Don’t go melting the fresh pads your dad just on!" Vanessa teased as she backed away from the car. The counter had reached 30 seconds, and the crowd started cheering again on hearing the 1JZ in the Chaser rev up.

"Hey, braking like a racer is my nature. Even if I can’t control it, I’d try if I could!" Quickly getting a last response in, Ayase shouted back at Vanessa at the top of her voice before settling down.

"Just don’t do anything risky...it’s important to break the record but care for the car..."

"Make sure the brakes last more than just this run, girl!"

"No problem, dad. I know what I am doing..." Smiling confidently, Ayase rolled the window up focused her mind once more. "and just watch, Mayumi's gonna eat her words after watching me smash the crap out of her previous record time!"

The counter ticked down to 0, and the mountain of Sadamine trembled to the sound of 520hp being unleashed onto the pass.

- つづく -

This post has been edited by Rin on Aug 22 2014, 02:03 AM

Finally have time for this again...

I know I enjoyed reading these two chapters. The continuation of that race did indeed make for enjoyable reading, and the new plot developments proved much the same (as usual). Writing's also still pretty good too. The scenes at the manor certainly had nice dialogue, prose and execution overall, to give an example (and whatever's up with them and Ruka's brother does make for an interesting new plot thread). The other newly introduced characters seem interesting enough so far, with their intros doing a nice job at that aspect (again, as usual), and the scene between Saburo and Hiiro - Broken Fanged Golden Machine Dragon of JUSTICE - was pretty fun to read. And that showdown between Vanessa and Adachi finally happens, leading to some more well done racing action.
And to add even more to all that momentum the story's still got, Saburo and co. are making enemies of the Defense Line pretty fast (the writing certainly set the mood there pretty well), and the time attacks are finally underway. That last part set the mood pretty well too with all the preparations being made and times being set. And with that, thus ends yet another interesting update to this story. And while the English isn't perfect (I could spot a few typos here and there), it's still a big step up, still makes for more enjoyable reading, and still proves to be a big help in really bringing out the excitement in all those race scenes (which are still showing a good amount of thought behind them).

So yeah, nice writing, interesting plot details, nicely planned out and executed race scenes, strong signs of later chapters still being able to keep this up. Keep it coming. And I guess now you're done waiting for me to drop a new review here already.

(Rest in peace P.Walker)

>My English
>Not perfect

NO. I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS.

And yes, we're waiting for your regularish walls of text to break up our larger walls of text. So keep it up or rin won't go on.

Edit: The next chapter, iirc, is quite something, if I may say so myself.

This post has been edited by Onboy on Aug 30 2014, 06:01 AM

Thanks a bunch for your lovely feedbacks, Meteor!

Now time to move again~~ xD

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Code 15: Awakening the Chaos

7th of July, through the thick layers of cloud, the sun slowly set over Mt. Akina. The only sound at the pass was that of birds chirping as they hurriedly scrambled back to their nests before night came. At the parking area, the locals were slowly rolling in for another night of action. Two cars, a lightly modified Suzuki Swift and a more heavily tuned Honda Civic, were pulled over at the side of the road. Their drivers leisurely chatted away while waiting for more people to show up.

"Did you hear? Some guy just challenged the Defense Line Aces in Irohazaka last night in the middle of their meeting!" The Suzuki's driver began as he took a sip of coffee from the can in his hand.

"You’re kidding! Who’s that?" Intrigued, the driver of the Civic sat upright, eager to hear more.

"No idea...but I heard he’s got a team and he’s driving a 180SX."

"As if taking on those guys isn't hard enough, he's planning on using a RPS13? Is that guy stupid?" The Civic driver frowned, looking at his friend with disbelief in his eyes.

"Stupid, bold or both." Peering over his shoulder, the Suzuki driver took another sip of coffee as he looked down the road behind him. An indistinct noise could just about be heard, but he paid it no mind. "Either way, he’s crazy if he thinks that car is gonna match the leader’s machine. Mr. Mutsu is a very versatile driver with that highly tuned S2000. He knows that course like the back of his hand...this is gonna be so one-sided..."

Their idle chatter was disrupted by a high revving engine approaching from further down the road. A dark blue Suzuki Cappuccino darted past the two drivers, its exhaust note crackling and barking as it downshifted and entered the first corner.

"Say, have you seen that Cappuccino before?" The Swift's driver asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah...we don’t see cars like that nowadays. Too old. It’s getting a bit more like the AE86..." Getting off the Civic's bonnet, the driver of the EK9 replied with a sigh.

"Yeah, but it’s featherweight can make it quite a formidable weapon on twisty mountains roads...I wonder who’s driving that thing?" The driver of the Swift took a breath, looking at the coffee can with a bemused expression.

The Cappuccino zipped down the long straight, its engine happily revving at 8000rpm as the car nears the first corner. Shifting up to fourth gear, the driver kept accelerating into the corner. Braking and tipping the steering wheel gently, the driver of the tiny Suzuki finely adjusted her inputs. The Kei car's nose darted into the corner and, with barely any oversteer, clipped the apex and gracefully accelerated down to the next corner.

"Mhmm...no speed loss in third gear...this should do..." Giving a simple analysis of the car's performance in the first corner, Musoku Shiranui brushed her light blue hair aside before focusing again on the task in hand.

Arriving at the first hairpin, Musoku brakes firmly before quickly shifting the car's weight as she turns in. Her delicate feathering of the accelerator pedal allowed the petite Suzuki to effortlessly four-wheel drift through the hairpin, shocking the small crowd of spectators that had arrived.

"Whoa...such a small car and it can drift so wildly!" Watching in awe, the crowd couldn't help but be impressed by the skill displayed in that single move.

"Who’s the driver? Is he a top stringer Defense Line Ace?"

"Not sure...but that person is really skilled behind the wheel."

The Suzuki continued its shakedown, but it did not go unnoticed. Seconds after Musoku sped by, a bright yellow EG6 Civic made its way to the hairpin. It carved its way through it with minimal effort, and set off in hot pursuit of the Cappuccino.

"That’s...! The Yellow EG6!"

"It’s him! The Yellow Ring!!"

The yellow Civic continued to close in on the Cappuccino, though it wasn't until the distinctive sound of a VTEC engine came within earshot did Musoku realise she was being chased down. Glancing at the rear mirror, she can just about make out the Civic from the headlight's glare.

"A yellow EG6...? Huh, never seen that one before back then. Well, I am not racing anyone technically, but this is still an important test. So..." Musoku paused as she quickly shifted up to fourth. "I won’t budge from this position!"

The Cappuccino shot away from the EG6, marking the start of the race. Both cars attack the second hairpin at full speed, both coming within centimeters of the guardrails. Beyond the hairpin was a left turn that leads to yet another hairpin. Having no intention of slowing, Musoku flicks the nimble Suzuki into a gentle inertia drift, while the Civic backed off slightly to keep to the racing line. Both cars exit at very high speeds, again missing the guardrails by a hair. Heading into the hairpin, Musoku takes a more conservative line, staying centered to balance the car from the maneuver from the previous corner. The Civic continued to push hard, clipping the apex and rapidly closing the gap.

"Well dang...this is gonna be tough..." Musoku watched as the Civic closed in, breaking a cold sweat as she smiled nervously. "But I like collecting data. I’d definitely like to see how this driver measures up...his grip-oriented driving is so impressive..."

Sparing no extra time to admire the yellow Civic's driving, the Cappuccino tried to escape the EG6's grasp. It had caught up most the distance and was now only a meter away from the Kei car. The pressure had increased substantially, but Musoku focused on trying to lead as best she can nonetheless.

"Alright....two hairpins after this...what should I do next?" Musoku wondered as she organised her thoughts before preparing for the next set of corners.

Both cars were no more than 10 meters apart, and at the entry to the hairpins, both braked as late as they'd dare. The Cappuccino four-wheel drifted through the hairpins, while the EG6 tucked its nose into the inner lane, and the pair of them launched into the next straight having taken the hairpins flawlessly. However, fast as she was, the Civic was still closing in on the Suzuki.

"...Impressive! I am pushing it hard already and the Civic is still keeping up. I can devise a plan for this section...but what will it be?" Reassuring herself, she began thinking of the different tactics she could use to spread the gap.

As both cars sped down the straightaway at over 150km/h, the difference in power was starting to become obvious. The 200hp in the Civic allowed it to further narrow the gap, and at the end of the straight, the only thing Musoku could see in her rear mirror was the yellow of the EG6.

"It’s useless...I can’t go any faster...!" The young girl quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling slightly nervous now. "Front wheel drive has the edge of acceleration here...I might have misjudged this driver’s sense in handling the machine...just slightly."

Both cars braked and clipped the apex at the left kink, the Suzuki again sideways through the high speed turn. Determined to use this to her advantage, Musoku applies minimal brake pressure to trim speed slightly, fighting the car's urge to spin from such a daring maneuver. The driver of the Civic let out a small smile of admiration as he watched the balancing act in front of him. However, it was not enough to make him back off. Through the consecutive S curves, the gap did not increase at all, despite Musoku's efforts.

"...Oh dear...this is bad... No gap increase at all...!" Running out of options that allowed her to preserve the tires as well as leave the Civic behind, Musoku grew increasingly agitated. "Okay....time to readjust my strategy."

At the end of the series of S curves was a very sharp hairpin that lead to the third checkpoint. Braking late and hard, the Suzuki was unsettled by the sudden weight transfer and veered left, into the corner. Taking advantage of this, Musoku tries to shuffle the car towards the apex to make up for lost time. But before she could recover, the sound of the Civic's B16 engine rang in her left ear. There was no mistaking it, the slip up had cost her dearly.

"Oh no...! As I thought, in terms of traction and acceleration, that car is just too much...driving such a small car at this point isn’t helping much either. After this is a high speed section where he can step on the gas as long as possible...he’ll surely overpower me. Might as well give him the lead...I cannot risk damaging this car now...!"

The Cappuccino retreated to the outer lane and allowed the Civic to pass. Musoku tried to take a quick look at the driver's face, but it accelerates away too quickly for her to make out anything of any worth. She only caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a good-natured smile and a distinctly masculine frame before he moved out of her sights and opened the gap to 10 meters.

"Too bad...I can’t really see his face...but he’s quite a driver. I’ll give him that..." Musoku sighed with admiration. She avoided hard acceleration to preserve the engine, and was slowly falling behind as a result. Regardless of what she tried through the corners, she couldn't close the gap while nursing the car's engine and tires.

"Oh well...things aren’t going as planned, but at least I got some data from the EG6. Guess I’d call it a day here..." Breathing out a sigh, Musoku lifted off the accelerator and watched the bright yellow speck disappear from her view. She pulled over at the side of the road and got out to watch the Civic make its way down the pass.

"Unbelievable. The drivers on Akina really impresses me...my first unofficial race and I already lost so badly." Despite her loss, she was visibly satisfied, smiling contently as she turned her gaze up to the darkening horizon.

------------------------------

Scene 1

8th of July, 12:31 PM. It was yet another busy Sunday afternoon in the capital city of Tokyo. Daily life carried on, the bustling streets filled with the sound of people and cars idling the afternoon away under the cloudy skies. In the window bed of ward 104, a man in his twenties slowly opened his eyes and, after a brief moment of disorientation, glanced at the uneventful sky.

"Well..." The man yawned. His body was heavily bandaged, especially his arms, one of which was in a cast. Even so, he tried his best to cover his mouth. "It’s been quite a while now...I wonder what happened while I've been out cold?"

Bleary eyed from just waking up, the man fumbled around for his crutches, blinded slightly by the glare of the afternoon sun. Groaning as he finally managed to get up, he sat facing the window, taking in the peaceful scenery and watched as the infamous Tokyo traffic crawled by.

"I should be able to leave the hospital anytime now...my wounds are all healed and I am just waiting for the nurse to give me the results..." Putting the crutches to his bedside, he tried to stand. Clumsily, he found his balance and took a slight step towards the window.

It may have been Sunday, but the hospital was surprisingly quiet. Making the most of this rare silence, the man took a deep breath and decided to head down to the hospital garden while waiting to check out. Before he could leave his ward, however, indistinct chatter boomed down the hallway and reached his ears. Frowning slightly, he focused his mind on deciphering the conversation. The voice was definitely familiar, yet try as he might, no names came up from his memory.

"Yo, that guy is in this room, right? Dang it! Let me through! I gotta see if that ass is still in one piece!!"

"Wait, sir! Please, you can’t just rush into a patient’s room like that!" Despite the nurse's protests, the thundering footsteps didn't seem to slow at all.

"Oh shit....here we go..." Seeming to finally recognize the voice, the man let out a heavy sigh and carefully placed his palm on his forehead, readying himself for what's to come.

Right on cue, the door flew open with a shattering bang. The energy dispersed into the walls, shaking the entire ward, much to the nurse's surprise. Ignoring the shocked glare he was getting from the passing doctors and nurses, he charged up to the man standing by the window. He was an African-American, wearing a sleeveless jersey that showed off his wide, muscular build. With his face tinted red with anger, he began without so much as a greeting.

"JIRO! You asshole, the hell were you thinking? Crashing your car without me looking?!"

"Hey, don’t look at me like that, Tyrone. After so many years of not meeting this is how you greet me? Also, what do you mean 'without you looking'? So it would have been fine for me to crash if you were there to watch me go into the wall?" Jiro laughed bitterly. He rubbed his forehead again, his focus drifting away to the night of his accident. His face paled slightly when he recalled the sickening moment when his pride and joy was reduced to a pile of scrap metal. The smell of alcohol from the day found its way to his head, forcing him to take a seat on the bed.

"Don’t give me that! You always get yourself into trouble and yet I'm always there to bail your sorry ass out. Now move your fat ass, I even brought your car with you." Tyrone grabbed Jiro's bags and pushed his way pass the nurses to the car park. The injured man sighed weakly as he finished signing off the remaining paperwork, before slowly limping after his friend. Quickly leaving ward 104, the nurse headed towards the lift to perform another routine check up.

The patient inside ward 400 sat motionlessly. The room was almost completely silent, the only noise being the humming of the air conditioners. There was not even a ray of light within the room, the blinds were tightly shut, blocking out the sun.

Hugging her knees, the patient stared blankly at her casted right foot. Her short straggly blonde hair peered out messily from her bandaged forehead. In this sorry state, if she didn't know better, the nurse would have easily mistaken her for a corpse.

"M…Miss Adachi…" The nurse hesitated. Her words were quickly lost in the silence.

Unable to take the darkness any longer, the nurse opened the blinds. Adachi remained motionless, barely flinching from the sudden overexposure. The unnerving lack of reaction sent an uncomfortable chill down the nurse's spine. She gripped the window ledge and turned her attention towards life outside. "Isn't the weather nice today?", "Oh wouldn't it be nice to spend such a nice Sunday at the park?", "Ahh, that really hot new doctor is looking at me, what should I do~?", casual thoughts like these filled her head and distracted her briefly from the oppressive stillness.

However, her eyes eventually fell onto the hospital entry. She caught a glimpse of Jiro as he slowly clambered into the passenger side of an Impreza hatchback, finished in Subaru's signature blue. She couldn't help but feel slightly angry at that, the sight of a man who had just recovered from a near fatal accident jumping back into the world that nearly took his life.

"Miss Adachi, how are you feeling today?" The nurse tried once more to break the silence, but to no avail. Adachi carried on staring blankly at her feet. Her thoughts were confused and slow, but her mind eventually settled in, and began recalling the fragments of chatter that reached her ears moments after her crash.

"After all that talk about her crushing Anderson's streak...hahaha!! What a joke! Look at how she crash and burned!"

"Pfft…Pathetic! After so many months of practicing and boasting about her protecting the pride of the racers and now she can't even save herself!"

"These are the words of your followers, Adachi." Megu's familiar voice echoed in her head. Yet it had lost all the haughty pride and energy from before. Only disappointment and pity remained in the deadpan voice Adachi heard. "They're people who had once looked up to you. They had all watched your every step, they placed their confidence in you and have all been let down by you in the very end."

"No…I was just careless. I cannot possibly lose to the likes of her!" Even in her current state, Adachi refused to accept reality. "S…she just got lucky, that's all. Mark my words, once I get out, I'll give her the pounding she deserve with everything I have…!" Reassuring herself as she hugged herself even harder, her face twitched and twisted into something that resembled her usual confident smile. It was a hollow and fragmented smirk, her composure was nowhere to be found in the forced expression.

"Hah! Disgusting! She shouldn't even show her face here anymore if she knows what's best for us locals! She's brought shame to us all!"

"Forget about Adachi and her stupid team! Vanessa's the real deal here! Let's all turn and support her!"

Agreed! She's a better driver AND a lot cooler too in person than that pretentious Adachi! Boy am I glad we get to have someone worthy of supporting!

The harsh words Adachi recalled from the moments before the crash carried on, mercilessly smearing her wounds with salt.

After all your talk, this is all you have to show for?

Adachi stopped her struggle.

"Ah…" She realised.

All this had happened because she grew overconfident. She had placed too much emphasis on the wrong things. She focused on the unnecessary and this was the result. "Protecting the locals"? "Become the fastest of the mountains"? They were never the issue. The issue was always clear…

Crush the scum that dare take Saitama's mountains for their own.

"I…If that's the case…t…then all I need to do is…"

Yes.

Defeat her.

Destroy her.

Let her feel this pain, this humiliation. Drag her into this darkness, and watch her collapse.

This time, leave nothing to chance. Pound her to the ground. Leave nothing left. Tear her reputation apart.

This time…

"…I will absolutely destroy you."

An intense wave of emotion tore through her silent form. Hatred. Jealousy. Outrage. The overwhelming weight of these feelings savagely crushed any lingering self-pity. She clenched her teeth, so hard that they screeched as they grinded against each other. A gravel sound that could barely be recognised as a voice leaked out from her throat.

"…a…ah…ARGH…AARRRRRRRGHHHH!!!" Her body shook violently, the rapidly overflowing fury accompanied her voice, which had become a horrifying shriek. She wildly stabbed her chipped and blunted nails into the bed. A searing pain stabbed at her head. Her eyes dilated, her world was dyed crimson.

"VANESSA!!!!!!!!!" Adachi let out a roar that reverberated into the heart of the hospital. She grabbed the table by her bedside and in a single sweeping motion, sent it flying across the room. The metallic sound of metal and glass shattering boomed down the hallway, accompanied by Adachi's barbaric howling.

"DAMN YOU!!!! DAMN YOU, BITCH!!! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!!!! YOU!!!!"

The nurse, finally snapping out of her daze, barely escaped the barrage of furniture hurled her way and scrambled out to get help. Other nurses soon took notice, and hurried to ward 400.

"Someone call the doctor here and bring a tranq!" One of the nurses shouted out to the corridors.

"O-Okay! Please restrain her until then!!" With a quick nod, she sprinted off to find a doctor, leaving the other nurses to approached the patient.

"AAAAAAARRGGGHHHH!!!!!!" Crying out in frustration, Adachi arched her back and howled to the skies. The overflowing anger scorch her every blood vessel, her hands were cut and her body shaking. Yet the only thing she felt was a murky darkness that rapidly infected her, overpowering all sense reason.

"Adachi!" The nurses slowly surrounded her, and tried to reach out to her as they cautiously approached.

"You’re just recovering! Control your emotion-Gah!" Without warning, Adachi lunged on one of the nurses, knocking them both onto the floor. Still gripping onto the nurse's collar, Adachi brought her viciously twisted face close, so close that the nurse could see the madness reflect in her eyes.

"Please calm yourself-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!" Adachi screamed at the top of her voice. Releasing her grip on the collar, she tossed the nurse aside and turned to the others. "I DON’T WANT ANYONE’S PITY!! I JUST WANT MY REVENGE!!! WHERE’S MY KEYS?!! WHERE IS IT!?"

Hurried footsteps reached ward 400. The doctor arrived, syringe in hand. He gestured slightly, instructing the nurses to hold Adachi still. They struggled and grappled with her, the rampaging "Ace of Saitama" still resisting. Seeing her show signs of weariness, the doctor unhesitatingly grabbed Adachi by the arm and injected the tranquilizer into her.

"Guh.....why...you...!" Before Adachi finished her sentence, her world was engulfed by darkness and fatigue.

Scene 2 (finally)

"WELCOME TO KANAGAWA, BOYS AND GIRLS!" A cheerful man announced at the top of his voice, getting out of his yellow Z31. To his left and right, a group of equally yellow cars. Taking a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, Kunitaro turned to the three other drivers by his side, too engrossed texting on their phones to listen to him.

"Yeah, that's great. Now run along and play nice, I'll join you later." Responding absentmindedly in a deflated voice, Tsukioka carried on texting, still inside his Soarer.

"I'd join you, but this area may be under the watching eyes of wyllipayne agents, so scout out the place and if you make it back alive, I'll come out." Kantaro peered out of his Verossa, his narrowed eyes darting around cautiously.

"Oh for god's sake, spare me your alien crap already. We came out here for a change of pace, and this is you two want to spend the time?" Looking at the two shut-ins beside him with disdain, Kunitaro sighed. "And here I was hoping we could try breaking free from his shadow…looks like we've still got a long way to go before anything like that happens...right, Takahiro?"

Looking up to the scarlet moon with a heavy heart, Kunitaro settled down at the peak of Tsubaki Line. Sat on his Z31's bonnet, he ran his delicate hand through his messy maroon hair. The cool breeze pushed against his broad shoulders, flipping up the hood on his jacket. Kunitaro adjusted the hood, and carried on watching the clouds.

At the foot of Tsubaki Line, the parking area was busy as ever. The gales were strong and the summer heat still radiated strongly off the roads. Despite the uncomfortable heat, the parking area was filled with people. However, the usual lively chatter was replaced by an almost academic atmosphere. The night echoed to the voice of just one man, standing in the circle formed by the numerous racers. The drivers sat on the bonnet of their cars, listening intently to what he had to say. The cars in question were a selection of Civics, MR2s and Silvia S15s, all stripped out and dressed up with racing grade equipment.

"A lot of applicants sure showed up today, eh?" The driver of an S15 turned to the racer next to him and whispered under his breath. The yellow Silvia, dressed in a URAS body kit with a GT wing, gleamed immaculately under the dimly lit night.

"Yeah, no kidding." The owner of an EK9 Civic replied. It was finished in a black and white racing livery, with "#Kanjo" scrawled on the door with a marker pen. Its square stance gave off a sense of purpose, the wide racing slick tires proudly poking out of the flared front fenders. Inside, the Civic was equipped with a roll cage, and a white hockey mask was placed on top of the dashboard. The owner carried on speaking as he quickly checked Instagram. "Everyone seemed to be eager to join the Defense Line these days."

"It’s already quite fortified as it is though...I am not sure why the Aces wanted to request even more racers to join. I mean...what difference would that make? The drivers still won’t be able to breach through the line."

"It’s probably because of the rumored Z nowadays. But I am not sure if there are other factors influencing this, but that Z is definitely one of the reasons." An MR2 owner joined in the conversation. He shuffled across the bonnet and whispered quietly to not draw attention to himself.

"Rumored Z?" With a curious expression, the Silvia driver frowned.

"You didn’t know? The blood-red Z33 that seems to be running rampant these days. And I heard the guy’s still around, looking for new victims." The MR2 driver paused and narrowed his eyes as a mischievous grin crept up on his face. "Who knows…? He could show up today and… BANG! GAME OVER!" He clapped his hands together like he was catching mosquitoes, just a hair away from the Silvia driver's ear. Sniggering at his frightened reaction, the two drivers threw playful punches at each other.

"Geez, guys. You actually believe that?" After they had settled down again, the Civic driver continued the conversation, still browsing his phone. "Those rumor threads started on the BBS are nothing more than that, mere rumors!"

"There are videos uploaded there as proof, you know? I wouldn't bet on it being a fake. If there’s that many witnesses, I am sure there’s some solid truth behind it..." Before he could finish, the figure in the center of the circle cleared his throat and, in a deep, bellowing voice, began addressing the racers.

"Listen up people! You are all here for one reason, and one reason only. To see if you are worthy to join our ranks in the Defense Line." In a grand voice, this figure captured the attention of the now dead silent crowd.

"Now, before we continue, allow me to introduce myself...I am Yamada Hayashi. As one of the Defense Line’s seniors, I will supervise you lot under the direct orders from the three founders. Needless to say, I will also be your instructor and adviser from this point onwards." His coarse voice softened as he introduced himself, making sure he was heard by every driver present. After a brief pause, he began pacing around the circle, eyeing every driver for any hidden potential.

"Simply standing here means you have been given a privilege that very few organizations can give you. The privilege to be among the strongest, fastest racers in Japan's streets, and to be able to protect our pride under that title. This is an opportunity that not even the professional racing leagues here can provide. Acknowledge that fact, and uphold the honor of the Kanagawa region with that in mind. Failure is not an option!" Letting his words embed itself into the minds of the crowd, he paused again, and took in the awestruck silence.

The previously chatty racers were now sitting upright and alert, puzzled yet motivated, with a strange warmth welling up inside as they came to terms with what they now represented.

"With that out of the way..." Yamada's pacing stopped and in a strong, abrupt motion, pointed at the group of three who had finally stopped their chatting. "You! What’s your car and profession?"

"My car is a Silvia S15 Spec R, sir. And I am a regular office worker! I spend a lot of time outside work to hone my skills-"

"Good." Before he finished, Yamada had already moved on. "What about you, the one with glasses?"

"I am a college student. I like to do mechanic studies and driving is a passion of mine! I drive this MR2, sir."

"Passable. And you there, tall one. What about you?"

"I-I am a regular garage assistant, sir. I help to tune cars with my colleagues in a nearby garage near Kanagawa Prefecture, sir. I am currently driving a Honda Civic EK9."

"Perfect." Yamada faced the three novices with a strict glare, and an equally strict smile. "I still have a few more to look out on, but you three...I am going to keep an eye on all of you. You show some promise and I am glad that you’re here. Now, let’s get this detail out of the way."

From his pocket, the defense line senior pulled out a few bundles of wire before tossing them to the three drivers.

"Umm...what are those, sir?" The Civic driver asked as he struggled to untangle the wires.

"Trackers made for supervising your progress as you practice on mountains. It's defense line standard equipment. This tracker will record your speed and position on the course. Everything will be recorded for me to see. First step to improvement is to admit that you always make mistakes. There is no shame in accepting your flaws."

"I...see, sir. You’re right..."

"Hurry up, we're running behind schedule. Don't forget, the eyes of many influential people will be watching your every move so do what you can to impress. First impression is essential in securing your connections with the Defense Line Aces."

"Oh...and Yamada...sir...what about...the rumored Z?"

"That...is not your concern for now, young friend."

"Huh? But...!"

"Listen. The red Z may be a raging beast, but I can assure you that he won’t be bothering us tonight." In a soft, reassuring voice, Yamada spoke, looking at the concerned racers in the eye. "We are on high alert here and messing with our meeting is equivalent to walking into a lion’s den."

"Y-yeah...the Z may be strong...but the Defense Line is even stronger. I have faith with you on this one, sir." A nervous voice came from the direction of the Civic driver.

"Regardless, you must now begin your first trial. Let your driving do the talking here, and prove to me, no...to us, that you are a worthy candidate in assisting our noble cause of protecting the mountains."

"Yes, sir!" Answering in unison, the three drivers responded with the defense line's pride now running deep in their blood.

"Now go! Same goes for you lot!"

Dispersing and beginning their run up the pass, the defense line freshmen soon began to settle in and enjoy their playful initiation run. The S15 took an early lead, the MR2 followed close with the EK9 just slightly behind. The three were still finding their rhythm, but soon had left the remaining racers behind.

"This is great! I never felt so confident before! Environment really change a person, huh..." The S15 driver glanced in his mirror, his two friends were now just small specks.

*The MR2 is following back with a bit of pressure from behind due to the EK9 catching up*

"Ugh...what’s with him? He’s like a different person ever since meeting with Mr. Yamada!" Feeling the pressure from behind, the driver of the MR2 began pushing harder, fighting the car's sliding. "I have to...try harder! If I can’t even win against him...no way I can win against that...Z!

The three cars continued towards the peak of Tsubaki line. The sound of their tuned engines grew increasingly faint, and soon the tension-filled roads faded into darkness once more. Chatter soon filled the air again as the locals gave their impression on the latest recruits, but before they could settle down again, the night's calm was shattered again by an approaching car. A high revving shrill resonated through the pass. A sound that, at this point, was almost synonymous with terror.

A scarlet flurry rushed past the gallery. The air it displaced raised wild gales, showering the crowd with the fallen leaves on the road. Sparks trailed behind vividly, the crimson haze's underbody scraping against the harsh road surfaces.

"Did...did you just see that car?"

"T-that’s....."

"No doubt about it...that car is...!"

In Tsubaki Line's parking area, Yamada sat in the back of a Nissan Elgrand. Its plush leather seats were rearranged to face each other. Resting on his seat was a laptop, monitoring the progress of the racers and feeding the information to the TV at the back of the Elgrand. Displayed on the Smart TV was a map of Tsubaki Line, with three color coded triangles moving up the pass, with another four behind them. Live timing was distributed evenly across the screen, keeping track of each defense line racer currently on the course. The current fastest was the yellow Silvia, shown onscreen as the yellow triangle. It was a second ahead of the rest of the pack by the first checkpoint. Before he could settle into his seat, his phone rang, much to his irritation.

"Speak." The commanding voice spoke. "Hmm...? What? It’s just one car, don’t worry about it." Hanging up, he dismissed the call and relaxed again.

"Still…Why would one car cause such a fuss?" Yamada muttered, eyeing the map with a narrowed glare. "Unless…" His grip tensed as he abruptly paused. The image of a destroyed S13 flashed into his mind. He vividly remembered the first time he saw the Silvia's remains. Not one panel on the car was undented, but the rear was heavily damaged even so, with red marks scarring the original paint. There was a small chance that the person responsible for that wreckage was the one mentioned on the phone…but even so, Yamada avoided dwelling too deeply into that matter.

Meanwhile, the defense line drivers obliviously carried on their practice session. The Silvia and MR2 playfully drifted around the slower corners, while the Civic gave chase only a few meters behind. Watching as the cars accelerated up the pass from the hairpin, the crowd seemed entertained by the new drivers. They chattered away, placing bets on which of the newest racers would advance the quickest.

But before the dust had even settled, another car had charged through the hairpin. It was a red coupe with a slightly damaged front bumper. Drifting through the hairpin in a similar manner to the cars ahead, it set off in pursuit of the fading rear lights.

"Huh..? This engine sound...it sounds...different." Diverting his attention briefly, the Civic driver glanced back at the rear view mirror. "Must be imagining things..."

However, his doubts were growing. The noise was becoming increasingly apparent, and the road behind him was also getting brighter with each corner. Another glance behind confirmed his fears. Advancing towards him at a relentless pace, he was staring Kanagawa's nightmare right in the face.

"…! That's…!" His heart skipped a beat. A sickening tension gripped his ribcage, and the steering wheel was juddering from his own shaking. "…N-no matter, t-this is deep in defense line territory, not even you would dare pull any stunts in front of this crowd…r-right?"

He wasn't fooling anyone. The tension coiled and twined around his chest. There was nothing for it, he had to escape, even at the cost of his teammates. Narrowing the gap between him and the two cars in front, he slowly began to catch up. The crimson haze disappeared into the fog behind. Carving through corners in violent dives, the Civic desperately tried to shake off the monster hidden in the mist.

"I'm already going over 140 km/h! No way I'm still considered slow here, am I?" Regaining his confidence, his driving smoothed and he steadily closed in on the MR2. "Even for you, this should be enough to keep you off my ass!"

Then…

"Gah!…Wh-what the hell?!"

A blinding light flared up behind him. It was so bright, he could hardly see ahead anymore. High pitched howling came from behind. With the road ahead no longer visible, he backed off the accelerator.

Shunt.

The car behind rammed straight into the Civic. Swerving to the side of the road, he finally caught sight of it. It was a Fairlady Z, and even from a distance, he could make out every strand of its driver's golden hair.

"...Heh!" Splitting her doll-like face with a sadistic smile, the scarlet devil, Kagerou Kouka, began the slaughter.

"Gah!! You freak!! Dammit!! Come on, EK! MOVE!" Panic took over, the Civic swerved back onto the racing line once more. The roads straightened, leaving him with nowhere to run. Accelerating as hard as it can, the EK9 tried to escape the Z's fearsome grasp. His grip on the wheel tightened. If he could just make it to the next corner, he had a chance. That was all he needed to escape.

In the Fairlady, Kagerou pouted and played with strands of her hair as she tailgated the Civic. Growing bored of trying to comb her hair, she clicked her tongue and dropped a gear, pulling up next to the EK9. Letting out a bored sigh, Kagerou glanced across at the driver of the Civic.

"NO! Don’t do that!! Stay away from me!!!" The Fairlady pinned the EK9 down, he couldn't pull away and to brake now would be the ultimate cowardice in front of the aces of Kanagawa.

Seeing his terrified face, she looked back apathetically, and mercilessly slammed the EK9's rear into the guardrail.

Shunt.

Shunt.

Shunt.

The EK9 was smeared across the railings. Sparks flew with each heavy impact. What remained of the Civic's black livery was scarred with red. Its wheels, now poking out of the collapsed fenders, were wobbling from the endless beating. The G forces rattled the Civic driver's head, causing him to yank at the wheel wildly as he blindly tried to counterattack…

---
[connection lost]

In the Elgrand, these two words flashed on the screen where the black triangle once was. Frowning slightly, Yamada took his phone out, just in time to receive a call.

"…Yes?"

"You're watching this, right?" A hurried voice asked. Sounds of rustling and crackles from the wind could be heard in the background.

Yamada didn't respond.

"Be glad this wasn't anything beyond a bit of needless showing off. I'm sure you've not bothered to explain the…flip side of joining us. The reason why big names like Setsuna Mikami have suddenly vanished without a trace."

Still silent, the senior defense line member could do nothing but bury his troubled face in his hands.

"Well, anyway, I'm going to go check out the reaction at the peak. Keep watching, you'll have a lot of explaining to do later, so at least try and come up with an excuse. See ya then…if I'll see you at all."

Ending the call with that ominous message, the unknown caller turned towards his teammate, who was enjoying a smoke while leaning on his yellow Evo V. Parked in front of it was another Evo. A black Mercedes 190E Evo I, dressed in an Evo II body kit.

Signaling to leave, the Evo V driver breathed out a puff of smoke before getting into his car.

"Let's go." The Mercedes driver announced, putting his phone away. As he walked towards his car, the deathly silent roads were disturbed again. A pair of headlights sped past them, too quickly for him to make out what is was. In no rush to chase after it, he tapped the Evo V's roof and slowly got into his car.

The two Evos pulled out of the hard shoulder and began their charge to the peak.

Further ahead…

“Dammit...! That thing caught up so quickly!!" Quickly looking back at the rear view mirror, the driver of the MR2 felt the pressure radiate towards him as the Z homed in again. 100 meters, 50 meters, 30, the Z relentlessly clawed through the corners to close the gap.

Entering the third section, the MR2 driver fought to keep the car balanced as he drove right at the limit of grip. The rear tires, showing slight wear from the earlier antics, were giving in. The undulating road only compounded the issues. Unable to get away, the Toyota was soon within attack range as they arrived at the next corner. Slamming on the brakes, he began fighting for grip again.

An impact punches through his seat. The Z shoved the MR2 into the corner, paying no heed to its braking.

"Ugh!! Damn you, freak!!" Fighting off as hard as he can, the MR2 shoved and tussled with the Z33 down the short straights. "I guess I really shouldn't have joked about it, huh. Even so, I won’t let myself get taken out so easily! I may not be able to bring you down, but I'll fight to the very end!"

[connection lost]

"Another down?" Yamada punched the interior of the Elgrand. "I guess it's as that asshole says. I can only be grateful that they're not racing officially." Laughing dryly, the stressed man got out of the dimly lit Nissan. Taking a deep breath of fresh mountain air, he felt a weight lift off his forehead and cool off his sweaty body.

"The flip side of this establishment…the cruel, indifferent law of the Line, huh. It's been a while since anyone was in any danger of that...I guess we have been too relaxed. They're close to finishing now, well, those that remain. I'll take a walk for now."

Sliding the Elgrand's door shut, Yamada began pacing around the now desolate foot of Tsubaki Line.

On Tsubaki's roads, all that stood between Kagerou Kouka and the peak was a sole, yellow S15. It was battered and bruised, the once gleaming yellow body was now in a pitiful state. The fragile canards were chipped and blunted, and cornering was further affected by the frantic driving.

"No...you won’t...take me like those two....! I can...control myself-GAH!!"

Another heavy shunt shook the S15. Twitching and squirming from the impact, the Silvia lost more time, allowing the Z to regain its composure again.

"You monster!!! DAMN YOU!!"

With nowhere to go, the Silvia pulled to one side, letting the Fairlady move across and take the lead.

"…Heh!" Kagerou sneered as she cracked a sadistic smile.

----
[connection lost]

"…That's…" Speechless, Yamada faced the Tsubaki Line map in shock.

It was a wipe out.

A massacre.

A slaughter.

Not a single car was spared.

Staring at the desolate map, Yamada reached for his phone once more.

---

"Aaand...that’s that. Now then, guess I’ll call it a -- oooh!! Who’s that who’s that?" Kagerou's already cheery voice brightened. In her rear view mirror, a pair of headlights approached. It's shape was indistinct, but the high-pitched howl gave it away. There was no doubt in her mind, this was the very same car as last time…

"...Ehehehe...to think I hit the same jackpot twice...so you’re here again...!! PERFECT!!"

Snickering wildly, Kagerou backed off the throttle to allow the car behind to close in. From the thickening mist, a pitch black R34 GT-R emerges.

- つづく -

This post has been edited by Rin on Aug 30 2014, 05:11 PM

Yikes, Adachi's gone off the deep end.

How do I say "yet another good chapter" without continuing to be repetitive? I'm still liking the way the driving scenes are being written now; the better wording and much improved pacing still do a nice job of bringing out the excitement, and the races themselves still have a good amount of planning and detail to them while also feeling a little more realistic overall. The amount of detail actually seems to be increasing too, if that race between the Cappuccino and Civic is any indication. I liked how much attention it paid to the moves made and the differences in driving. That brought out the feeling of a battle quite well, and it wasn't overdone, so it kept things interesting and fast-paced.
Kagerou's recent massacre was another moment that stood out writing-wise, for reasons that are harder to explain without resorting to an even larger wall of text, but basically the way everyone got hunted down had even more of an impact this time. It was also built-up well, the growing panic and dread on the mountain was something that could be felt, and the simple trick of using "shunt" early on proved to be quite effective in adding to that.
And the start of Adachi's madness is something that stood out too. Such a drastic change in mentality is something that'd easily seem ridiculous, but the writing actually managed to make it work. Her thought process managed to fit with how she was before, the thoughts going through her head were actually smooth in how they led up to that result, and that combined with the state she was already in somehow just made it all possible to take seriously in any way. Even how messed up she'd gotten beforehand managed to seem believable with the way she was thinking. And even with that, how far gone she was going to get wasn't made immediately obvious. When she finally starts to truly crack, and then gradually cracks some more - the one sentence paragraphs adding just the right emphasis to her thoughts at this point - the moment hits as intended.

Well she's probably going to be someone to watch out for now, if she ever gets out.

And of course, there are a bunch of other small moments too, which I'm not going to go into with as much detail in the interest of keeping this review having something resembling brevity. I am also interested in seeing what happens next with both these newly introduced characters and the other new ones from before. And of course, a certain R34's showed up to face off against Kagerou's Z again. That certainly isn't going to be boring.

So there you go. There's a review here once more, and I once again take too long on it for what the end result is. Also, any other people still reading this here need to resume posting sometime too. I'm not leaving that little to say am I?


Hmm, I wonder what the deal Vanessa worked out with that tuning shop from before was.

Rin's bad English scared them off.

That, or the sudden change in everything scared them off

They were just scared off either way.

Thanks for the feedback once again, Meteor. xD

Code 16 - CODING ENTRY

"…To think I'd run into you again…" Ruka grimaced. Further ahead, the all-too-familiar Z33 cruised in the center of the road, its hazards flashing, taunting her into a chase. Closing the gap with each corner, she delicately controlled the R34 as it danced up Tsubaki Line's final sector.

Four-wheel drifting out of a tight hairpin, the GT-R roared up the next straight, aligning its nose with the Z. 30 meters, 20 meters, despite the next corner rapidly approaching, Ruka saw no need to back off. She left the car on a collision course with the Fairlady, and increased speed even further.

"Oh? What are you trying to pull here?!" Kagerou roared, stomping on the brake and swerving to the outside lane. The R34 shot straight by, grazing the right wing mirror of the Z. A high pitched grating pierced her ears. Red paint streaked down the side of the now-dented left fenders of the GT-R.

Stomping hard on the throttle again, the Z recovered its line and scrambled after the R34. "That’s right, little black pup! RUN! RUN LIKE THE WIND!!" With a wild grin spread across her face, Kagerou began slashing at the distance between the two cars.

Approaching the tight right hand hairpin, Kagerou saw the opportunity she was waiting for. The GT-R braked early for the corner.

"Hah…too easy!"

Suddenly darting out from the R34's shadow, she charged down the inside lane, side by side. The Z was aligned perfectly with GT-R's side.

"Ahahaha…! What's this feeling? I feel so excited! Goodbye, b*tch! Let's see how strong that car is…can it shield you from THIS?!"

With nothing but a door between the Fairlady and Ruka, just imagining the damage done if she T-boned the GT-R at this speed sent chills through her spine.

3…

2…

1…

"…?!"

"…Are you taking me for a fool?"

Sawing at the wheel, Ruka controlled the GT-R in a very gentle slide, barely escaping from the Z's front bumper. She survived the attack, and Kagerou's late braking cost her dearly. If she were to leave the Z behind, this was her only chance.

"...Ugh...this person just doesn't know when to give up, does he?" Feeling her composure slowly slip away, she stabbed the sole, red button on the steering wheel with her thumb.

Nothing happened.

"…No effect?! …Koizumi, just what are you doing behind my back?"

"…Tsk…However fast you are, I will not fall prey to you…!" Holding her breath, Ruka sorted out her thoughts and gripped the steering wheel. The final series of corners before the charge to the peak had arrived. With the Z closing in again, she couldn't afford to hesitate. Steeling her nerve, she strained her concentration and dropped the GT-R down a gear, entering the corner.

Biting her lip, she locked her eyes on the road ahead. Her inputs were precise and minute, gently threading the enormous Nissan through the tight corners, using every inch of available tarmac in her escape. She paid no heed to the scraping and tearing coming from the car, focusing solely on reaching the top.

Unable to keep up, the Z could only try to hold its ground. Feeling the frustration pile up rapidly, Kagerou grew wilder still. Accelerating at every opportunity, fighting oversteer, taking every corner as aggressively as she dared, but still she could not close in. Through the fog, she could just about make out the GT-R arriving at the peak.

"…What the hell was that? Don't mess with me…is that even human?!"

---
Idling in a parking space at the peak, the dented and scratched R34 burbled noisily. The left canard was torn off, and sections of the front splitter were reduced to mere fibers.

"…Well. That's that…"

Relaxing as much as she could, Ruka inhaled deeply, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She rested her head against the padded steering wheel, trying to catch her breath. The air in the car was growing thinner with each breath, and she couldn't feel anything coming out of the air con vents despite having it set at the highest setting.

"…Koizumi…as if removing the boost function wasn't enough, you then removed the air conditioning? What is the meaning of this? I'm suffocating in here."

She reached for the door, but the urge to simply sleep after such an intense run was overwhelming. Her feeble body was once again aching all over, her arms refused to move any further and she could feel her heart's every pulse. Even so, she had to get out. Leaning her weight onto the door as it opened, she clumsily helped herself onto her feet.

Running her fingers along the deformed front fender, she felt a souring heat well up in her heart. Within the mist, she heard a wild screeching, and the pungent smell of tire smoke made her feel light-headed.

On the other side of the car park, the battered Fairlady finally came to a rest.

"ARGH! DAMMIT!"

Within the stirred up tire smoke and mist, a high-pitched voice boomed through the mountains.

"What the hell? That's the SECOND time. To lose to the same person TWICE?!" Kagerou punched the steering wheel repeatedly. She pounded her fist against it in a fit of rage until she felt the shock settle.

Looking up, just about visible through the dense mist, a thin shadow stumbled and tripped across the GT-R's silhouette.

"…You…" The rage inside her spiked up, Kagerou felt the concentrated emotions burn through her limbs. Unable to contain it, she charged out of the Z, taking large strides and gritting her teeth.

"You...before anything else, let me just say this, I HATE your guts! Get it?" Enraged, Kagerou stormed up to Ruka, fists clentched. "You’re killing my mood every time you win! This is only the second time but if you’re gonna steal my spotlight all the time, I’ll just have to beat you up right here on the spot!" Kagerou let out all her frustration in one go, grabbing the frail-looking girl by her neck.

"Hah? What’s with that weird regal getup? Are you some sort of mistress?" She spat, her voice filled with disgust.

Pulling her head away from Kagerou's hand, Ruka looked directly into her eyes. Kagerou's grip around her neck was becoming firmer, and she could barely breathe. Struggling and grappling at the blonde's hand, she finally freed herself and collapsed onto the floor.

"What is everyone's problem today? Am I not even allowed the luxury to inhale air?"

"Humph...Why would that concern you?" Feeling the air rush into her lungs, Ruka panted deeply, allowing herself to regain her composure before responding any more. Rubbing the deep nail marks dug in her neck, she finally continued.

"I do not even know you, leave alone hold such a grudge against you. Why you bare your fangs at me for not once but twice is beyond me. Does the loss last time vex you so much?"

"Hey!" Barking back at the top of her voice, Kagerou's fist tightened again. "I took pride in my power and was having fun as a runner here in Kanagawa! Your first big mistake is you stole my thunder in beating up the guys here! This is supposed to be MY stage! Find your own!"

"My, how crude. Speaking as if this huge place is your territory. Why don’t you show some maturity, making such a big fuss out of such a petty matter is an eyesore."

"Do NOT call this a petty matter, you damn snobby witch!"

"…Are you sure you wish to create a scene over this?"

"Don’t tempt me to take the chance." Kagerou flashed a dangerous glare at her, feeling her nails with her fingers. "I am just waiting to sink my nails into your neck again."

"Sadly, I am not in the mood to entertain wild dogs…oh?"

From behind Kagerou, three misty silhouettes crept up. Even with the poor visibility, one detail on these cars could be made out. They were yellow. A vivid, vibrant yellow that seared the eye. Through the mist, the three cars shut off their lights, and their drivers sauntered out obliviously.

"Oh…? So there's people here…wait. What are those two doing?" Squinting hard, Tsukioka tried to understand the situation.

"Two girls…alone…at night…an intimately holding each other…passionate gaze…seems like a scene from those suspiciously thin books my sister likes to rea-…EHH?! No no no, that's definitely not the situation here! That's not a passionate gaze so much as a murderer's glare! This isn't intimate, this is dangerous!

Finally shaking off his steamy fantasies and realizing the gravity of the situation, Tsukioka lunged towards the blonde hair girl. Following behind him, Kunitaro and Kantaro tripped and stumbled trying to keep up.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa...slow down, ladies!" Tearing Kagerou away, Tsukioka and Kunitaro grappled and struggled, avoiding her wild flailing while keeping her at bay.

"Guh…!"

Kagerou's hand snatched at Ruka, catching her by the neck and yanking her off balance. Holding onto the collar with a sneer, she watched as the pale girl struggled for air again.

"Oi! Let go already! What's this about? What’s the problem here?" Standing beside the two girls, Kunitaro asked, trying to keep his cool.

"Dammit, stay…still!" Kantaro wrestled with Kagerou's struggling, taking several smacks to the face from her squirming. "Argh! STOP ALREADY!"

"Humph!" Seemingly content with smacking Kantaro, Kagerou finally stopped her thrashing and settled down.

"Okay now...be a good girl...and put...her...down...okay? Okay. Good girl, see, that wasn't hard, was it? …Ouch, damn you're strong." Rubbing his face, Kantaro sulked bitterly.

"Glad I wasn't on the receiving end of that grip!" Dusting himself off, Kantaro turned towards the collapsed girl. Shit, she's not out cold, is she? Well, I'm not surprised if she would be, it'd probably be strong enough to break all five of those aliens' necks!

His mind still lost in his alien delusions, he extended his hand as he walked towards her. She slowly sat up, panting heavily.

"Ah, I give up. Next time someone wishes to suffocate me, I'll simply accept it as my fate. Recovering from this is such a bother. Really, what is it with this girl…? Hmm…Am I bleeding…?"

Ruka thought to herself as she took in another deep breath. Running her fingers under her neck, she felt a souring sting from where Kagerou's nails slashed.

"Stay back." Ruka commanded sternly, stopping Kantaro in his tracks. "You would do well to stay out of this matter."

"Stay out of this, boys! This is strictly girls’ business!"

Their crimson eyes fixed on each other. The two girls fiercely fought their cold war, not allowing anyone to come between them. Staring each other down, neither side yielding, this silent exchange locked them both in their own world.

"Get a freaking grip first. If you want to murder here, so be it, we'll be witnesses and policeman-san will lock you in a room and give you a stern lecture." Kunitaro placed himself between the two girls, trying to lightening the mood. "Even before that, somehow I doubt you can handle all of us alone."

"Hoho…Don’t be too sure about that..." Kagerou replied with a blood thirsty smirk.

"…Okay, just calm the hell down first." Taking care not to escalate problems any further, Tsukioka tugged Kunitaro back. "I am sure there’s a misunderstanding here somewhere. Don’t need to draw blood over this, right? And what happened exactly? Mind elaborating? Either one of you?"

"She has been chasing me over the most trivial matter imaginable, and is just throwing yet another fit over it. Nothing more. Like you, I find this nonsensical barking to be hardly worth my time." Smoothly summarizing her views, Ruka replied to the slightly confused boys standing besides her.

"So..." She began again, turning back to face Kagerou. "What will it take for you to stop this behavior, whoever you may be?"

"NAME’S KAGEROU KOUKA! And you better remember that!"

"I'm Ruka Saginomiya...and this shall be the declaration of war. I have given you my attention, so do at least attempt to entertain me." Dismissively, she brushed her hair aside and took a seat on the GT-R's bonnet.

"Ha! You sure talk BIG for someone who’s close to having her windpipe ripped out!"

"Time out!"

Kunitaro interrupted. Letting out a sigh, he continued trying to appease the two girls. "Okay, that’s enough...you’re both awesome, alright? Now, can we stop threatening to kill each other here and sort this problem in a more...well, civilized way?"

"...Heh!" Kagerou laughed, splitting her face with a crazed smirk. Her erupting frustration had been quelled by Kunitaro's antics, and "Fine by me! I can't stand and shout with you idiots getting in the way anyways. It’s been too long since I had any actual fun, you're more fun than mopping up bugs all day!"

"…Oh?"

"Since you’re the only one that managed to beat me twice in a row, you’re more than deserving to be called my nemesis!" Sneering arrogantly, Kagerou announced. Turning away, she made her way to the Fairlady, her footsteps booming through the night.

"We’ll settle things next time! Until then, you better not lose to anyone! Nothing pathetic like losing to the maggots around here, got that? YOU WILL ONLY LOSE TO ME!"

"...heh. So be it." Ruka curled her thin lips into a confident smile.

"Ah?" Kagerou frowned and paused in her tracks.

"Let me make this clear. This will be the first time I'd have stooped to the level of dogs, however, if it means I will be spared your petty barking, then so be it. I will bring my all to our next encounter, rest assured. Yes…our next encounter shall be a brief one." Ruka calmly dismissed Kagerou's bravado, tilting her heads towards the wind as she played with her hair.

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"NOW you’re speaking my language, you snobby little princess!" Without turning back, Kagerou shouted back. Still smiling confidently, she pushed her way pass the boys and made her way to the car.

"Whoa!" Nearly pushed over, Tsukioka stumbled and grabbed at Kunitaro's clothes, trying to stay upright.

"I’ll rip that regal mask off your face next time we cross paths again! You better remember that! Humph!"

Slamming the door shut, Kagerou started up the Z. Disappearing into the mist again, she felt a strangely warm sensation inside her. As she embraced the warmth, a soft smile spread across her face.

"Finally...after all these years...I finally found someone that I can have a great time with! Life won't be half as fun without someone like her showing up! Been too long...since I felt so...alive....hehe....."

"Well...that’s that. Glad it ended without bloodshed..." Coughing and spluttering, Kunitaro let out a sigh of relief. The Z smeared the parking lot in tire smoke, and the unpleasant smell still lingered after so long.

"Man, she’s even scarier than those aliens from Fire in the Sky…if she's not an alien herself." Kantaro turned and pointed at the bewildered girl. "Look at her, she's completely pale after that encounter! You agree right? Don't worry, your first encounter with an alien is always going to be shocking. Here, you can hold onto me if you still feel scared."

"She's not THAT ba…Can you PLEASE give the alien nonsense a rest, you damn pudding head?!" Unable to bear the Kantaro's daft rambling any more, Kunitaro buried his face in his hands and stuck his fingers in his ears.

"Umm...Saginomiya, is it?" Tsukioka took his attention away from his friend's antics to address the lone girl sitting behind them. "Are you...okay?"

"Ugh…" Ruka groaned, her voice was weak, and the encounter seemed to have further strained her already worn out body. "I appreciate your concern, but save it for your companions…In any case, did no one teach you? It's rude to intrude on a lady's discussion."

"Glad she’s still calm after all this..." Kantaro, having finally stopped rambling about aliens, nudged Tsukioka and whispered to him.

"Well, sorry for intruding but when we passed by and saw you in such a situation, we just had to. And uh...I apologize for not introducing ourselves properly. Name’s Kunitaro Nakahara."

"Kantaro Mitsuwa, pleased to meet you!"

"And I am Tsukioka Tadamichi. Pleased to be your acquaintance."

"My, what distinguishable personalities you three are." Chuckling softly, Ruka replied with a tired smile. "Looks like tonight was not a total lost cause. Sadly, I cannot join you in enjoying the rest of this night, so for now, I shall be taking my leave."

"Uh-uh. You're not going anywhere, missy." A man in his twenties calmly spoke, his hands in his trouser pockets and face hidden behind his wild hair.

A black Mercedes 190E was parked across the parking lot's exit, with a yellow Evo V behind it. Pushing against the gales with his muscular torso, the very sight of this man's approach was like that of a hero's arrival. He completely ignored Kunitaro and his friends, walking directly towards the girl, glaring at her with eyes brimming with an unwavering fighting spirit.

"…Just as the dog leaves, a monkey shows up. Ahh, this place really is a hunting ground, isn't it?" Massaging her temples, the knackered girl sighed and got up once more. "What do you want? I can hardly muster up the strength to move, leave alone listen to more tripe. Be brief."

"…Very well. You're speaking to Kanagawa defense line's third fastest, Hiro Shishigami. It's a pleasure to meet you…or so I'd like to say."

Standing face to face with an absentminded Ruka, Hiro stamped his foot on the ground, demanding her attention.

"Now, enough small talk. Let's get down to business, shall we?"

---------------------------------------------

Watching the slow afternoon traffic crawl by, two girls stood on the roof of Tokyo Hospital. The metropolis' slowly ground to a halt, and the familiar noise of horns and idling engines filled the air once more.

One of the girls leaned onto the roof's railings, softly gazing at the congested highway network. Her distant eyes slowly closed, bathing in the warmth of the summer sun. Her purple and blonde hair, done up in a ponytail, fluttered slightly in the wind.

"u…ari…yu…kari…YUKARI! Oi! Don't fall asleep!"

"Hmm? You want something, Shion?"

"Yeah, I want you to stay awake when I'm talking to you!" The nurse beside her grumbled. "Really, if you don't want to listen, then don't ask in that pushy voice of yours!"

"Oh, but I do want to listen…hey, what's that?" Catching sight of Shion's phone, Yukari's interest suddenly spiked up again, leaning onto her and grabbing at the phone. "Let's see, let’s see!"

"Hey...watch where you’re leaning against..." Feeling a heavy pressure push against her back, Shion scowled and forced her cheery friend off of her.

"Buu, you got me interested so let me see already~!" Snatching the phone off Shion, Yukari teased and began scrolling through the news. "Saitama’s got a major Defense Line breakdown? So you were into gossip of this sort? Well, I guess it's nice to look beyond our horizons every now and then."

"Well, either way…" Shion quickly yanked the phone off her friend with an annoyed frown, before reading on. "'Vanessa...Anderrson'?"

"Ring any bells?"

"Hmm..." Shion scrolled through Vanessa's profile. Beneath the mug shot of her on the top right corner was a small table of details. In it, everything from her car, sightings of her, win/loss ratio was listed out in detail. The victory count was highlighted red, with "x7" beside it.

"A Renault, of all things...and this girl's not been on the scene for too long, yet she’s beaten all these guys." Seeing the impressive list of defeated drivers, the nurse couldn't help but be taken away by Vanessa's feat.

"Oh…? How rare! Is this praise I'm hearing from the ever-so-strict Shion?" Yukari beamed as she nonchalantly remarked.

"Get off my case already! But still…so this is the girl she was on about."

"Hmm? Who are you talking about?"

"The patient I was telling you about."

"Oh, that one! The funny one who flipped out for no reason? I remember that now…Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" Shion chuckled and brushed her hair aside. "Come on, Yukari! Look at me, barely even a scratch on my face! Well…the eye's a different matter, but it's been a day already, I'm fine. And the 'funny one' you're talking about is Adachi." Shion brought up a new page on her phone and pointed to Adachi's bio. "Apparently known as the "Slayer", girl's a GT-R driver."

"A GTR driver..." Yukari's eyes suddenly lost its liveliness, and her cheery smile faded away. Lost in a trail of thought, she was left silent for a few seconds.

"So GT-Rs are still a taboo topic? It's been so long though…still, I guess it's for the best to not push on." Shion thought to herself, waiting for Yukari to come back to her senses.

"…Is she good?"

"Eh, don’t ask me. I don’t know shit about her, but apparently her team finally got acknowledged, and this kid here just pulverized her." Responding with a sigh, Shion smiled as her friend finally recovered from her daze. "She freaked out and wanted spill some blood when she finally woke up, but a stab from a tranquillizer put her to sleep, and that's the end of that."

"…Hmmm, poor girl. Must’ve been quite a blow to her pride, eh?"

"No kidding. The kids there on Saitama don't think much of outsiders, but if they’re proven strong enough, they respect them as well as locals. It’s an all or nothing gamble out there. Ah, the lovely power of a racer's youth..."

"Aren't you wise…even though you've yet to see Tokyo in its true colours…" Smiling wryly, Yukari's voice faded to a faint whisper before she regained her composure. "Ah…now look what you've done, you've spoilt my mood. Quit talking like a grandma, I'm bad with elders."

"Oi, Yukari. What have we talked about using the G word?" Responding in a forced voice, Shion felt the blood rush to her head from that sly jab.

"Oops, sorry! …Hehe." Yukari stuck her tongue out in response.

"Well...regardless, at least we know the defense line’s claim that no one would dare challenge them is revoked by this small move. Following this is just about everyone who's had a grudge against the line getting out there and picking a fight. I wonder how far this will go…"

"Ehh~, that's boring. I'm more interested in what we're going to do here. It’ll happen sooner or later anyways…"

…Silent again? Oi, what's with you today. Why are you so cute. Makes me want to pick on you.

"Say...didn’t you have work today? Why are you up here anyway?"

"It’s my day off, scatterbrain. You asked me to take the day off with you. For a nurse, your memory's pretty bad."

"It's because I'm a nurse, I prioritise these things. Petty matters won’t register in my brain."

"Either way...it sure is...strangely calm today..."

"Be careful of what you wish for, Yukari....the winds from the storm just haven't reached us yet. We should prepare while we still have the free-time to do so.

"Don't you mean 'you' should prepare? I told you, didn't I? I've got my own things to do, so be a sweetheart and take care of whatever comes our way, mmkay~?"

Looking at Yukari with a perplexed face, Shion sighed and joined her friend in watching the clouds drift across the sky.

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In the alleyways of Tokyo's busy streets was a small garage. Tyrone and Jiro stood outside, staring at the sole car sat in the narrow garage exit. It was a Subaru Impreza STi hatchback finished in WRC Blue Mica. The freshly painted car glistened under the soft sunlight, and both men couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment well up inside them.

"Jiro, feelin’ better now?"

"Eh, I’ll live." Jiro replied, sipping his iced coffee. "I am surprised that you’re here in Japan though."

"Hey, if anything truly bad happened to you, I wouldn’t want to miss seeing my old friend one last time." Tyrone slapped Jiro's arm playfully, ignoring the fact that it was in a cast only a day ago. "But really, you should drop that drinking and driving habit of yours. No way in hell can you be so lucky all the time, dude."

"You say 'truly' bad, as if this wasn't bad enough?" Jiro chuckled and dusted his shoulders. "But I get it already, so give it a rest. Anyway…now that we're done with this, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh yeah…I’ve been hearing a lotta buzz lately from the mountains, what's that all about?"

"Narrow it down a bit for me. I've been out cold for a bit, and I prefer the highways to the mountains so I might not have heard of it."

"Uh…does "The Defense Line System" ring any bells?"

"Oh...that? Yeah, I know of it. Apparently, they’ve sieged the mountains in fighting an invisible enemy, and now control most of Japan's street racing. Well, everywhere, but here."

"I noticed…Tokyo has its own rules, it seems."

"That’s one way to put it." Jiro sighed and took a stroll around his finished car, taking in the polished wheels and equally new exhaust system. He knew that the Impreza, inconspicuous as it looked now, is certainly more capable than his previous car. Still admiring his new car, Jiro slowly spoke again. "I suppose, judging by what you're saying, you've seen the way street racing works around here. Safe to say, those who run at the top of this system are beyond what your average racer is capable of."

"…Mind being a bit more clear?" Tyrone swept his mop-like hair upwards and frowned. " It's not a detective story, so just spill it."

"Misako Takaoka, Suzume Asai, Yukari Fujimaki, Yoshi Muraguchi." In a stern voice, Jiro brought up four names. "The four fastest people that stand at the top of Tokyo's street racing scene, and the fifth racer, Takuro Hishida, who allegedly managed to top them all, they're best described as…special people. Quite frankly, I'm not sure if they're even comprehensible to us"

"So, that aside…Where do you plan on going now? Join in the action here?"

Jiro turned his back to his friend, and cast his gaze towards the sky. With a calm sigh, he responded absentmindedly…

"…Nah. It's time for a change in environment."

---------------------------------------------

7:40PM.

"…She's late."

Glancing up at his watch, Saburo ruffled his hair, irritated. Leaning by a weathered concrete pillar, he let his eyes explore the vast, decrepit factory that he and his friends have made their own. Trying to make out the remains of a production line, Saburo distracted himself. In this abandoned facility, listening to the ticking from his watch echo through the space filled his heart with a strange comfort.

"Sorry I am late, Saburo! I'm not usually the late-comer here."

Grinning apologetically, Sakuya's voice boomed from the far end of the building. A metallic rattle accompanied the sound of her footsteps, growing louder as she got closer. Two sets of pipes laid on a small cart that she was pushing.

"Traffic jam?" Saburo asked absentmindedly. He carried on inspecting the damaged walls and cobwebbed industrial equipment, paying Sakuya no heed.

"Yeah. Some drunkard wrecked his Subaru on the way near the Nikko area and clogged the traffic." Sakuya grumbled, sulking slightly. Shaking off her fouling mood, she quickly changed the topic.

"Anyway..." Sakuya began, bringing the cart to a halt next to Saburo. "I bought what you wanted. This should be good enough to do the trick."

The tangle of pipes were still wrapped in plastic, marked clearly with logos and a price tag. Taking a closer look, Saburo noticed the branding and the high quality workmanship.

"…Kakimoto and…GP Sport, is it?" Saburo thought, squinting slightly to try and read the tags. The brands held no meaning in his eyes, but judging from the quality, it couldn't have been too cheap.

"These aren't exactly costly, but they’ll do just fine." Leaning on the cart, Sakuya turned to face Saburo, and ran him through the details. "You don’t have to worry about tweaks though. I’ve done all I can to make sure your car can handle it."

"...You have my thanks, Sakuya." Taking in all the information, Saburo finally breathed out and spoke.

"Hey, save the thanks for later." Sakuya looked into Saburo's eyes with a soft, confident smile on her face. "Rather, save it for when our rivals are finally wiped off the stage."

"Right..." Looking down at his watch once again, he raised another question. "So, where’s Hatori? What’s she up to now?"

"Four-Eyes?" Hearing her name made Sakuya twitch slightly. "She’s busy doing some computer shit while analyzing the data from your battle against Setsuna."

"Hmmm…"

"I couldn’t make anything of it, but it seems to have something to do with the racing style connections between the Defense Line drivers. Could be useful for future reference, who knows?" Sakuya shrugged and joined Saburo by the pillar, leaning her arm on his.

"But let's forget about her for now…" Resting her head on his shoulder, Sakuya changed the topic again. "Have you heard? It seems like your confrontation inspired quite a few people to take action."

"…Oh?" His eyes closed, Saburo replied in a indifferent grunt.

"Rumors are coming in from all over that Imai and Mutsu have already been beaten. I think they lost to an 80s Soarer and a chrome Evolution...something, I don't remember. But that's two thirds of the Tochigi line dealt with, effectively." Snuggling up to Saburo's arm, Sakuya closed her eyes and carried on delivering her report in a softer voice.

"It also means that those two are no longer an issue, unless you want to race them. As for the dick in the Z32…" Sakuya paused, she tried trawling through her memories for his name but drew a blank. "…Whoever he was, you can leave him to me. I never liked that guy anyway."

"Do what you like." Ignoring the redhead currently glued to his right arm, Saburo replied casually. "My aim will still be to go after Imai. I don’t care what others have done. My goal won’t change for now."

"That’s my cue then!" Sakuya jumped back up energetically, tidying up her slightly dusty hair. "Never liked pretty boys with a bigger mouth than I've got. It bugs the shit outta me always having to hear him running his mouth whenever he can. Anyway, let's go get your car, standing around all day is boring."

Following Sakuya as she made her way to her car, Saburo looked up through the collapsed roof of the factory. Perched on the steel beams that stretched across the length of the building were two birds. He watched them disinterestedly until he reached the factory gates.

Parked outside the factory was a deep red Supra, sitting next to Saburo's 180SX. The all-too-familiar shape had received a slight upgrade. It was now sitting slightly lower and wider, but the largest change was the new Work Meister S1 3Ps that filled the Supra's arches. To compliment the new wheels, wider fender flares were fitted.

"So you changed the wheels again?"

"The tires too. The old set had worn out completely. Don’t laugh, okay? I have my own taste too!" Sakuya barked at Saburo, her face reddening.

"…So." After a brief pause, Saburo picked up the conversation again. "I heard that you raced someone on Akagi a while back...care to explain?"

"Ah...so you did notice!" Dusting off her skirt, Sakuya answered. "Well, it’s nothing. Just some blonde punk. Nothing I can't handle. I'm surprised you bothered to bring it up after so long though."

"Well…He’s not part of the Line, is he? Matsu Koreshi, right?"

"That’s his name. And nah, guy's a loner...but I already beat him, so he won’t be bothering me anytime soon." Pausing slightly, Sakuya suddenly remembered another bit of news. "Something about Four-Eyes mentioning his friend sure bugs me though...remember the time when she’s test-driving your 180? She bumped into Koreshi’s friend."

"So...? What does that have to do with us?"

"Well…They were planning to overthrow the Defense Line."

"..ah? Rebelling against the Line as well?"

"Yeah, looks like we’re not the only ones who’re sick and tired of the Defense Line bullshit." Stretching her arms again, Sakuya responded in a weary voice. "Still...I don’t like that Matsu guy."

"Well…regardless, as long as they’re not interfering with our goals, leave them be." Saburo ended the conversation in a bored voice, turning his attention to the little pebbles by his foot. "We only got a few more days left before we take on Imai, I want to focus on that first."

"Oh? What's this?" Sakuya teased in a sarcastic voice. "This is the first time I've seen you this motivated, Saburo."

"Having mixed feelings about it?"

"Nah. I like it better this way. If we’re not gonna be competitive in our hearts, we sure as hell won’t win this. And there’s no telling if they’re gonna play by the rules either...I know damn well that their methods are going to consist of only giving themselves advantages.

"Since when was street racing ever fair in the first place?"

"Ah...I guess not. Might as well do what we can to even the odds..."

"...Sorry that I find you convenient. I would’ve want to do this myself and rather than rely you all the time."

"Hey, now...don’t apologize, Saburo." Sakuya placed her arm around his neck. "I told you before, I wanted to be part of whatever you got into, remember? I chose to be here so try not to get too sentimental on me or feeling stupidly apologetic cause you think I am useful or whatever. I too, wanted to make a difference. And that’s why I chose to be with you."

"..Sakuya, you-"

Before Saburo could finish, Sakuya cut in. She locked her eyes with his. Feeling the heat rise to her face, she quickly shook off the building uncertainty and gripped his hand with a firm, reassured smile.

"Have confidence in your decisions, as well as ours, Saburo. If we’re gonna do this, we'll see to it that the entire Japan’s Defense Line system will crumble before us. We’ll dismantle it and make sure it will never be rebuilt again!"

In the spur of the moment, Sakuya couldn't help but finally speak her mind. Ending her stirring speech with a gentle voice, she brought Saburo's face next to her own, and whispered…

"That's why, you don't need to apologize. We're all in this together, and I'll always be here for you."

"…Thanks..." Saburo's expression was conflicted. He wanted to smile, but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"Hah! Now that’s more like it!" Watching his expression twitch and fumble, Sakuya gave him an encouraging pat on the back.

"Anyway, let’s get started! I got a few more things you may like to choose from. But before that, what muffler are you going with? Made up your mind yet?"

- つづく -

So Kagerou's finally made a friend. That's nice.
(Seriously though, good thing Ruka didn't get her windpipe crushed. Nice timing Yellow Squadron*)

*Because "guys in searingly vivid yellow cars" is a bit more of a mouthful

Nice build-up chapter for what's next on the horizon. Don't have much to say that's particularly new (good job again, etc.), but all the characters here did a good job of keeping the chapter going (unsurprisingly enough), the new plot threads brought up/hinted at leave me ever more curious about what's going to happen in later chapters, and I am interested as to whatever Hiro's got to talk with Ruka about.

(And with how long I took this time Saburo's certainly picked a muffler already)

So anyway, up for the next chapter as usual.