As the two RX-7s arrived at the summit of Yougou, the air was thick with the quiet tension of racers sizing each other up. The purple glow of the moon bathed the mountain pass in a soft light as the roar of engines echoed against the peaks. A woman with striking purple hair stepped out of the RX-7 FD, the midnight purple paint reflecting the dim light like a phantom shadow. Her name was Keqing. Moments later, another car pulled up—the distinctive white RX-7 FC—its lines sharp and elegant, reflecting the glow of the moon as a white-haired woman stepped out. This was Ningguang, known for her own legendary skills on the road. March instantly recognized both women from an article she'd seen on a popular motorsports website, Inazuma Motorsports Illustrated.
March wasted no time informing Beidou, Seele, Pela, and Collei of the identities of the two drivers.
"First up," she began, eyes wide with excitement, "the driver of the Midnight Purple RX-7 FD is Keqing. She's famous for her fast, precise driving inputs and impeccable throttle technique. She's the second fastest on Mount Araumi." March paused for dramatic effect. "And the fastest driver on Araumi? That's Ningguang, the one in the white RX-7 FC. Not only is she the fastest on Araumi, but she's also a beast in closed circuit races, from sprints to Gymkhana events."
Keqing stepped forward, crossing her arms with an air of calm confidence. "I'm Keqing," she said, her voice cool and assertive. "This is Ningguang. But enough about us—tell me, who's the fastest driver on Yougou?"
Beidou stepped forward, her gaze unwavering. "If you're looking for the fastest on Yougou, then you're looking at her, Hotshot."
Ningguang and Keqing exchanged a brief glance, then turned their attention back to Beidou, intrigued.
Keqing raised an eyebrow. "Alright then. How about we do some mountain runs together? Let's see what this 'fastest' can really do. And since we're new here, we'll take it easy on your turf."
March, her voice bubbling with excitement, threw her arms around Collei. "This is so exciting, Collei! I can't believe we're about to see all of this firsthand!"
Collei, however, looked anything but thrilled. Her face twisted in confusion, her brows furrowed. She didn't quite share March's enthusiasm. Shortly after, Ningguang and Keqing hopped into their respective RX-7s, starting their engines with a hum of anticipation, before driving off down the mountain pass.
Pela, not missing a beat, urged Beidou and Seele to stop staring into the darkness and do some practice runs of their own. "Let's go, we can't just sit here! Let's get some practice in," she said, turning to face the others.
Seele and Beidou nodded in agreement. With a wave, Pela and Seele zoomed off, racing down the pass, while Beidou fastened her five-point harness with focused precision. As she did, March's voice broke through the tension.
"Hey, Beidou, can we come along for the downhill run? We don't want to miss out!"
Beidou shook her head firmly. "No can do, March. When it's a serious run like this, I prefer to drive alone. It helps me keep my focus." She looked at March with a knowing smile. "But don't worry, I'll be back to pick you guys up before heading home."
With that, Beidou rolled up the window of the R32, shifted into first, and slammed the accelerator to the floor. The engine roared to life, and the rear wheels spun, leaving a trail of smoke as she launched off, heading down the mountain pass.
As Collei and March watched the tail lights of Beidou's R32 disappear into the darkness, the echo of engines and screeching tires rang through the mountains, the sound growing fainter with each passing second. March crossed her arms and pouted, frustration evident on her face.
"This sucks!" she grumbled. "I wish we had our own car!"
Before she could continue her complaints, Collei spoke up, her voice calm yet filled with curiosity.
"Hey, March," Collei asked, her gaze still fixed on the dark road ahead, "Is it really that fun, being a street racer?"
March froze mid-tantrum, stopping her foot from stomping the asphalt, and straightened up. "Huh?"
Collei looked at her, eyes wide with a mix of confusion and intrigue. "I don't get it. Everyone—including you—is really excited about street racing, but I don't understand what the big deal is. Why is everyone so into it?"
March scratched her head, genuinely baffled by Collei's response. "No way, Collei! You can't be serious!" she exclaimed. "How do you not get excited by the engines roaring and the tires screeching as we fly down the mountain? Catching up to each other, battling it out, pushing our cars and our skills to the limit! How does that not get you worked up?"
Collei, still trying to wrap her head around it, shrugged. "Is that supposed to make me excited?" she asked, clearly still not feeling the rush.
Back at the base of Mount Yougou, the phone rang in Arlecchino's house. She picked it up, her voice smooth and steady. "Hearth's Tofu Shop, how may I help you?"
Immediately, she recognized the voice on the other end.
"Well, well," Arlecchino chuckled, "It's been a long time since I heard from you, Lyney. Your voice is the last thing I expected to hear today."
Lyney, sitting at a nearby convenience store and sipping his coffee while leaning against his Toyota Century G50, grinned. "Well, it's good to hear from you, too. Come on, don't tell me you're not happy to hear from an old friend."
Arlecchino let out a light chuckle. "Of course, it's nice to speak to you again. So, what's the occasion? What brings you to disturb my peace?"
Lyney, now leaning in a bit closer, recalled an event from the previous night. "You know, last night I passed you while you were coming down from your delivery run. I flashed my lights to signal you, but you flew past me like I was nobody."
Arlecchino smirked, already knowing where the conversation was headed. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, Lyney, but that wasn't me."
Lyney, thinking she was joking, laughed. "Had to be! I passed your AE86 on the mountain."
Arlecchino, unphased, raised a hand. "Well, you got me there. It was my car, but I wasn't driving."
Lyney, now even more curious, sipped his coffee and raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what do you mean? Who was driving?"
Arlecchino casually scratched her cheek. "My daughter, Collei, has been doing the deliveries to the hotels lately."
Lyney nearly choked on his coffee. "Wait... What did you say!? Since when has she been doing the deliveries?!"
Arlecchino smiled softly, as if amused by his shock. "Give or take, about five years now."
Lyney's voice grew louder, incredulous. "Collei has been delivering tofu since she was in seventh grade!?"
Meanwhile, at the summit of Mount Yougou, the scene shifted to Seele's Nissan Fairlady S30Z, with Ningguang hot on her heels in her white RX-7 FC. Despite Seele's power advantage, Ningguang was faster through the corners. Seele could only gain ground on the straightaways, but when it came to sharp turns, Ningguang passed her effortlessly.
"Damn!" Seele muttered to herself, trying to keep up. "I've got the power advantage, but these cornering speeds are on another level!"
Elsewhere, Beidou struggled to keep up with Keqing, though both cars had similar power outputs. The real challenge, however, lay in cornering, especially on the exits. The night stretched on, the sound of engines filling the air as they honed their skills. Hours passed, and everyone eventually took a break.
At the summit, Beidou, Seele, and Pela gathered, concerned about the possibility of losing to the upcoming race. Seele was especially worried about losing on their home turf, while Ningguang and Keqing, now resting at a nearby rest area, were deep in conversation about their runs.
Ningguang observed, noting how Beidou and her team handled every part of the course. Keqing agreed with Ningguang's assessment. "Considering they're at their best, I might not even need to bring my car for the race," Ningguang mused. "We may not even need a practice run at this point."
Keqing, ever the strategist, considered it for a moment. "If you're not bringing your car, why should I even bother racing them?"
Ningguang's response was calm, yet determined. "Because I want you to set a record—shatter their best time. Even on their best day, they won't be able to touch it. If we don't do this, our names won't become legendary."
Understanding the weight of the challenge, Keqing nodded. "If that's the case, I'll keep working on understanding the course better. You head back to Araumi. I'm going to make sure I'm ready."
Ningguang gave a nod of agreement. "Take care of yourself out there, Keqing. Don't push too hard."
As Ningguang climbed into her FC and drove off, Beidou and her team began to make their way down the mountain, Beidou deep in conversation with Collei and March.
"If you didn't know, street racers like us don't take losing lightly," Beidou explained. "Sometimes we get too serious with these challenges... and the worst thing that can happen is losing to an outsider, especially on your own turf. It's an unwritten rule in street racing."
Time ticked by. By 4:30 AM, Keqing and her team were waiting at the summit of Yougou. One of her teammates approached. "Hey, still here? Where's Ningguang?"
Keqing shrugged, checking the sky. "She headed home. She's probably asleep by now. As for us... look at the time. The sun's coming up. We should head home, too."
As Keqing raced down Yougou's curves, she couldn't help but feel the adrenaline coursing through her. "At this rate," she muttered, "I'll be breaking their record soon."
Just as she took a sharp turn, something in her rearview mirror caught her eye. Headlights. "Hah, looks like they're catching up."
Thinking it was one of her teammates, Keqing prepared to push harder, but when she saw the car more clearly, confusion set in. The front end wasn't familiar. "What is that car?" she wondered aloud. "An MR2? An NSX?"
They raced down the straightaways and through the turns, but this car was keeping pace. Keqing was impressed, but she wasn't about to let it end here. "Nice driving, chief," she muttered, "But after a couple of hairpins, you won't even be able to keep up."
She downshifted and slammed the accelerator, speeding up. But then, at the next turn, her eyes widened in disbelief. "No way... is that... an AE86?!"
The unknown car caught up in the corners, but Keqing's RX-7 left it behind on the straights. Yet, each time they approached a sharp bend, the AE86 closed the gap effortlessly. Without any warnings. The Eight-Six passes Keqing and performs a well executed inertia drift. Keqing was stunned. "What the hell!? An Inertia Drift!? No way... is this guy for real?"
As the AE86 passed her flawlessly on a tight hairpin, Keqing slammed on her brakes, spinning out in a haze of frustration and awe. Her teammates soon caught up, stepping out of their cars to look at her.
"Did you see that freak in the AE86?" one of them asked.
Keqing let out a breath, still processing. "Yeah, I did. And I'm not happy about it. No street-spec RX-7 FD gets beat by some clunky old AE86!"
Determined, Keqing signaled for her team to continue the run. This wasn't just a practice session anymore—it had turned into a mission to find this mysterious driver and challenge them to a real battle.