Days had passed since Beidou had ridden downhill with Collei. The scene at Lyney's gas station was quiet, the day proceeding at its usual slow pace. Lyney stepped out of the office, looking around. He paused for a moment, scanning the area before approaching Collei and March.
"Where's Beidou?" he asked, his voice light but curious.
Collei looked up from what she was doing, her expression calm. "She's out on a delivery right now. Took the Pickup Truck."
Lyney nodded, as if he expected as much. He handed Collei the keys to his Toyota Century, along with a small envelope.
"Well, if Beidou's busy," Lyney began, a thought forming, "maybe you could help me out, Collei. Just take these papers to the nearby Yamada shop. You can drive my car."
Collei looked at the keys and the envelope for a moment, then took them from him. With a nod, she walked towards Lyney's car, the sound of the V12 engine roaring to life as she slid into the driver's seat. March, who had been watching, looked on as the sleek car pulled away, leaving her and Lyney behind.
Lyney turned to head back to the office, but just as he moved, March called out, her voice laced with annoyance.
"Hey, Lyney? I've got a question for you."
Lyney stopped and turned, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?"
"You do know I have a driver's license, right?" March's voice was slightly defensive. "Why do you always ask everyone else to do deliveries when you've got an awesome gal like me around?"
Lyney smirked, crossing his arms with a playful look. "Since you asked, I'll tell you. Put your hand on your chest and tell me what you feel."
March looked puzzled but complied, placing her hand over her chest. She paused for a moment, feeling nothing but the steady rhythm of her heart. "Umm... my heartbeat?" she answered, unsure where this was going.
Lyney closed his eyes for a moment, as if contemplating her response, then opened them with a serious yet joking expression. "Exactly. Now, do you get it?"
March shook her head, still lost. "No?"
Lyney's face softened into a smirk as he explained. "Simply put, I trust Beidou and Collei to bring my car back in one piece. But you? There'd probably be a dent in the side of the car, the size of your caved-in chest."
March's jaw dropped. She backed away dramatically, striking a strange pose, suddenly balancing on one leg and raising her arms in a weird gesture. "How dare you!?"
Lyney chuckled, turning back to the office as he shook his head. "Well, that's the long and short of it."
March stood there, fists clenched, her mind brewing with determination. "One day, Lyney, when I have my own car, you'll see!"
Moments later, a sleek black Porsche 930 Turbo rolled up to the gas pump. March's eyes lit up as she saw the machine, her admiration clear as she marveled at the car's smooth lines.
"Awesome! A Porsche Turbo! You don't see these every day!" she exclaimed under her breath, not noticing the driver stepping out.
The owner of the car, a woman with striking features, removed her sunglasses and turned to March. "Hey there, kid. Name's Yelan. A buddy of mine from Inazuma City told me to stop by. I'm looking for a member of the Yougou Speedsuns. Drives an Eight Six. I heard she works here, so figured I'd drop by."
March, caught in the moment, seized the opportunity to inflate her own importance. Despite not officially being a member of Beidou's team, she replied confidently, "Yes! Of course! I know her. We're like sisters, really."
Yelan's eyebrows raised, clearly impressed. "Seriously?"
March nodded, her eyes closed in a smug expression. "That's right! Me and her? We're the fastest racers in Yougou."
Just as March finished her proclamation, she heard the unmistakable growl of a twin-turbocharged flat-six engine. She turned to see the Blackbird, a car she had only heard of in whispers, coming to life. Yelan, with a gleam in her eye, leaned toward her window.
"Alright, kid. Can you pass along a message? Tell her—10 on Saturday, at the top of Yougou. Tell her to look for the Blackbird and its driver, Yelan."
March, still basking in her self-proclaimed glory, squinted her eyes, trying to appear knowledgeable. "10 on Saturday, at the top of Yougou. Got it. But, what are you planning to do there, anyway?"
Yelan revved the engine lightly, preparing to leave. "It's a race to the bottom."
With that, Yelan drove off into the distance, the sound of the Blackbird's engine fading as she sped toward Yougou. March stared after her, suddenly panicking.
"Oh no. What have I done? I just accepted a challenge... for Collei. And now she's gonna have to race!" She shouted to no one in particular, her voice echoing against the empty streets. "What am I gonna tell Collei?"
It was then that Collei arrived, pulling up in Lyney's Century, parking it in front of March with a perfectly executed stop. March froze when she saw her, the weight of her mistake bearing down on her. Collei rolled down the window, raising an eyebrow.
"March, why are you freaking out? I'm not gonna run you over, you know."
March took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. "Uh, nothing! Let's head up to Yougou and do some practice runs, maybe?" she suggested with a forced casualness.
Collei shook her head, the sternness in her voice clear. "No can do. I don't drive fast up there unless it's really necessary."
Just then, Lyney appeared from the office, holding a cup of freshly brewed coffee. "Hey, Collei! Perfect timing. I've got some coffee here. Want some?"
Collei looked at him, and her expression softened. "Sure."
She parked the Century back in its spot, and March's nervousness began to eat away at her. "What am I going to do?" she thought, beads of sweat collecting on her forehead as the tension continued to mount.
The next day, the pace at Lyney's gas station was once again slow. Beidou, Collei, and March were busy wiping down the gas pumps. March, still nervous about the challenge she had unknowingly accepted, tried to make small talk.
"Be—beautiful day today, huh?" she said, her voice betraying a hint of anxiety.
Collei glanced at her, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Uh-huh. Why are you acting so strange today, March?"
March tried to brush it off, but before she could say anything, the unmistakable roar of a twin-turbocharged 6-cylinder echoed in the distance. The sound grew louder, and soon a car skidded to a halt at the pump. It was Seele in her Nissan S30Z, and she was clearly upset.
"Beidou!" she shouted as she got out of the car, rushing to her with an urgent expression. "What the hell? Since when did you accept a challenge from the Blackbird!? This is huge! Why are you keeping something like this from me?"
March froze, her heart sinking. Beidou looked confused, her brow furrowing. "What are you talking about?"
Seele was unconvinced. "Don't deny it! The Porsche Turbo, the Blackbird—it's racing against the Eight Six on the downhill this Saturday! The whole town knows about it!"
Beidou, still bewildered, shook her head. "Seele, I don't know anything about this."
From behind, March's face drained of color. She stood there, trying not to panic as the conversation continued. Collei scratched her head, just as confused.
Seele was becoming more agitated. "That's impossible. Yelan came by yesterday to issue the challenge. Who did she talk to, then? The phantom Speedsun?"
Beidou and Seele turned to Collei, who also shook her head. "This is news to me," she said, her voice low.
Seele's frustration was growing. "Am I the only one who knows about this? What the hell is going on?"
March could no longer keep the secret. She took a deep breath, her hands trembling. "I... I'm sorry," she blurted out, barely able to contain her guilt.
Beidou and Seele turned to her, their expressions filled with disbelief. "March? What did you do?" Beidou asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.
March knelt, her head hanging in shame. "I- I accepted the challenge... for you," she confessed in a soft voice.
Collei, Seele, and Beidou stood in stunned silence. The weight of March's mistake hung in the air.
"I… I didn't know what to do," March continued, her voice trembling. "Yelan came by yesterday. I was alone, and before I knew it, the challenge was already issued."
Beidou's patience snapped. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING SOONER, YOU DUMBASS?"
Seele stepped in, trying to calm Beidou down, while March turned to Collei, desperately pleading for forgiveness.
"Look, Collei, I messed up. Please, forgive me! I promise it won't happen again."
Collei sighed, clearly disappointed but still patient. "It's alright, March. But Jesus Christ, man."
That night, Beidou and Seele sat at a cozy corner of a nearby café, the warm glow of the lights contrasting with the cool, bustling night outside. They were waiting, though Seele had been tight-lipped about who they were meeting.
Beidou leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, curiosity evident in her gaze. "So, Seele, who is this contact of yours? You've been awfully secretive."
Seele smirked knowingly, her fingers tapping lightly on the edge of her mug. "You'll see. Before she left, we… let's just say, we stayed in touch. You know, just in case."
As if on cue, the low, throaty rumble of an engine turned their attention to the café window. A pristine white RX-7 FC gracefully parked beside Seele's Midnight Blue S30Z. From the RX-7, two familiar figures emerged.
Beidou raised an eyebrow as recognition dawned on her. "Oh? You kept in contact with Ningguang?"
Seele's smirk widened. "That's right. Ningguang and Keqing know a lot about cars, probably more than either of us. If anyone knows something about the Blackbird, it's them."
Moments later, Ningguang and Keqing entered the café, their presence commanding the room despite their casual demeanor. Ningguang carried a sleek tablet, her businesslike air offset by the hint of a smile.
"Beidou, Seele. It's been a while," Ningguang said warmly, extending her hand.
"Likewise, Ningguang," Seele replied, shaking both Ningguang's and Keqing's hands firmly.
"Good to see you both," Beidou chimed in, following suit.
The four settled into their seats, and without preamble, Ningguang activated her tablet, swiping through several screens. "Shall we begin?"
"Let's get to it," Beidou said, nodding.
Seele leaned in. "Alright, what do we know about the Blackbird?"
Ningguang's fingers danced across the tablet as she brought up her findings. "The Blackbird is a legend of Inazuma City's Shuto Expressways, also known as the Wangan. It's a Porsche 930 Turbo, driven by a woman named Natasha, Doctor from a big hospital there."
Keqing added, leaning slightly forward, "Natasha had a rival, someone she raced against frequently. They were competitive, sure, but there was a sense of camaraderie too. That part's not important for now, though."
"Alright, but what's under the hood? Any specs?" Beidou asked, her tone laced with intrigue.
Ningguang swiped again, revealing technical diagrams. "It's powered by a 3.6-liter flat-six engine with twin turbos, pushing at least 700 horsepower."
Beidou's eyes widened. "Seven hundred horsepower? Are you kidding me? Please tell me it's got some kind of weakness!"
Keqing smirked. "It does. Something called snap oversteer."
Seele tilted her head. "Snap oversteer? What's that?"
Ningguang explained, her tone calm and precise. "Snap oversteer happens when you abruptly lift off the gas. The weight shifts forward, making the rear end light and unstable. If the driver makes a sudden steering input, the rear can spin out in an instant. It's extremely hard to recover from."
Beidou snapped her fingers, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "That's it! If Collei can pressure Natasha in the corners and disrupt her rhythm, she'll have a chance!"
Keqing nodded approvingly. "Exactly. Collei's a beast on hairpins and corners. She can close the gap and exploit the Blackbird's instability."
As the trio delved deeper into strategies, Seele's gaze wandered to her Midnight Blue S30Z parked outside. Something about the conversation stirred a feeling she couldn't shake. She raised her hand. "Ningguang, you mentioned Natasha had a rival, right? Do you know what car they drove? And the color?"
Ningguang hesitated for a moment before responding. "It was a Midnight Blue Nissan Fairlady Z. S30Z."
Seele's eyes narrowed. "What about the license plate?"
"I'm not sure why that's relevant," Ningguang said, frowning slightly. "But if you must know, it was Inazuma 33. 53-68."
Seele froze, her gaze snapping back to her car. "No… it can't be. Guys, you might want to look at this."
Curious, Beidou, Keqing, and Ningguang followed her gaze to the S30Z parked outside. Ningguang's eyes widened, a rare crack in her composed demeanor.
"It… it can't be…" she whispered.
Keqing stood abruptly. "We need a closer look."
The group exited the café, gathering around Seele's S30Z. Ningguang's practiced eye scanned the details: the number plate, the midnight blue paint, the meticulously maintained interior. Everything matched.
"Ningguang," Seele said, her voice tight with unease, "what now?"
Ningguang straightened, a rare seriousness in her expression. "Open the hood. It's the only way to confirm if this is really the Devil Z."
With a steadying breath, Seele popped the hood. Ningguang didn't hesitate, leaning in to inspect the engine. Her breath hitched.
"No way," Ningguang murmured. "Carbureted twin turbos. L28 engine. It's the Devil Z."
Seele stepped closer, her face a mix of disbelief and awe. "You're serious? This… this is it?"
Ningguang nodded solemnly. "There's no doubt. Too many details match. And the person you bought it from… I believe it was Asta, Natasha's longtime rival. And friend."
Seele staggered back slightly, the weight of the revelation sinking in. "Asta… she owned this car?"
"Yes," Ningguang confirmed. "Asta and Natasha raced side by side on the Wangan, night after night."
Keqing broke the silence. "How are we going to tell Collei about this?"
Beidou crossed her arms, a sly grin forming. "I've got an idea. We catch her during her delivery runs."
"But do we even know the time?" Ningguang asked, raising an eyebrow.
Beidou's grin widened. "Oh, I know the time."