The night was far from over. Collei parked the Eight-Six beside Silverwolf's Integra. The tension in the air was thick, and Silverwolf handed Yelan a roll of duct tape.
Yelan eyed the tape, a look of disbelief crossing her face. "Silverwolf. You are out of your goddamned mind."
Silverwolf casually patted Yelan's shoulder, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "Relax. This one is in the bag for me."
Collei opened the door, a determined glint in her eyes. "Do what you have to do."
Beidou approached Collei, her expression filled with concern. "You don't have to do this! You won't be able to steer!"
Collei slammed her hand on the top of the steering wheel, her voice thick with resolve. "I don't care! Nobody does this to anyone! I'm not backing out of this, even if it's the last thing I'll do. I won't lose to an ass like her…"
Yelan, holding the roll of duct tape, crouched beside Collei. "Sorry, kid. I gotta do this. No hard feelings."
Collei gave a silent nod, her emotions turbulent but focused. Yelan took the duct tape and expertly secured Collei's right hand to the steering wheel, ensuring it wouldn't break loose midway through the race.
Collei swallowed hard but spoke with calm resolve, "I don't hate you for doing this. You're essentially forced to by her."
Yelan smiled softly, giving Collei's shoulder a reassuring pat. "Show her what you're made of."
Yelan closed the Eight-Six's door with a quiet click. Silverwolf, leaning against her Integra, gave Collei a thumbs-up and flashed a smirk.
"See you later, sport. Try not to-"
Before Silverwolf could finish her sentence, Collei mashed the gas pedal, throwing Silverwolf off guard. The Eight-Six surged forward, leaving Silverwolf in the dust.
Caught off guard, Silverwolf growled, revving the engine and giving chase. The two cars rocketed into Turn One.
Beidou, already in her R32, hollered from the sidelines. "What are you waiting for? Let's give chase!"
Seele, with Pela by her side, rushed toward her Devil Z. "But we'll never catch up to them!"
Beidou fired up her R32, determination flashing in her eyes. "I know that! But we can at least be close enough when something goes bad!"
The convoy took off, Beidou leading the charge, followed by Seele and Pela in the Devil Z, March in her Supra, and Yelan in the Blackbird. They drove in unison, heading down Yougou, prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Back in the race, Collei's Eight-Six was neck and neck with Silverwolf's Integra as they flew through the deserted streets of Yougou. It was an impromptu race, no spectators, just the sound of engines roaring through the night.
Silverwolf smirked, eyes narrowing at the Eight-Six. "Alright then, Eight-Six girl. Let's see how many corners you can last!"
They approached the first left-hand corner, and Collei's heart raced as she slid into the turn. Her right hand on the wheel suddenly reached its limit—she couldn't steer any further. Panic surged in her chest as she realized she was heading for the guardrail. Desperation surged through her. She slumped forward, clutching her left wrist with her right hand and twisting it as hard as she could. The wheel turned just enough to avoid disaster.
Her heart pounded as the Eight-Six narrowly missed the guardrail, exiting the turn with a decent amount of speed.
Collei straightened herself in her seat, her voice shaky but determined. "Holy shit. That was close..."
Silverwolf's grin only widened, sensing her chance to break Collei's spirit. "That's all luck. Let's see if you can handle the rest. Eight-Six of Yougou."
They continued to race, Collei playing it cautious for the next few corners. But as she reached the third hairpin, something clicked inside her. Her eyes widened as realization struck.
"I finally understand this. The less I steer into the drift, the faster I can go through these corners. Alright, Silverwolf! I'm putting you down!"
Collei slammed her foot onto the gas, the Eight-Six surging forward with newfound ferocity. Silverwolf's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How is that possible?! All this pressure I'm putting on her, and she's not even reacting to it! It's like she's going even faster!"
As they reached the fourth hairpin, Silverwolf's composure shattered. She mashed the gas pedal, her determination spiking.
"This doesn't matter anymore. In a contest like this, all you gotta do is win!"
But in her desperation, Silverwolf made a fatal move. As they entered the hairpin, she bumped Collei's Eight-Six from behind, sending it into a 360 spin. Collei reacted with stunning speed, countersteering and managing to regain control. The Integra passed her, but the gap was minimal. The Eight-Six had only lost a car length.
Silverwolf glanced at her rearview mirror, frustration mounting. "Shit! She's lucky! In that case, I'll put down the hammer."
Silverwolf accelerated harder, trying to put more distance between herself and Collei. Meanwhile, in the Eight-Six, Collei's grip on the wheel tightened, her legs twitching with barely-contained anger.
She muttered through gritted teeth, "You fucking asshole... You did that on purpose... If it's the last thing I do in this race—"
Then she screamed, her voice a roar of defiance. "I WON'T LOSE TO AN ASSHOLE LIKE YOU!"
Collei downshifted, slamming her foot onto the gas. The Eight-Six jolted forward, the tachometer rocketing from 5000 RPMs to 8000. At this point, Collei lost all composure. Her mind was a blur, her only focus on overtaking Silverwolf.
The two cars reached the next corner. Silverwolf's smooth drift made it look effortless, but Collei's aggressive entry caused the Eight-Six to hop the curb. The rear end slid, and the car slammed into the guardrail. The impact sent the Eight-Six drifting toward the next hairpin. They shot down a short straightaway before another S-turn loomed.
The Eight-Six jumped the curb once more, the rear end sliding into the guardrail with a sickening thud. Collei gritted her teeth as the car skidded into the next corner, the gap between the two cars closing rapidly.
Silverwolf's panic set in. "This isn't happening!"
She glanced at her rearview mirror, eyes wide with disbelief. "How's she catching up?! I can't go any faster than this!!!"
The Eight-Six continued to close the gap. Silverwolf was frantic, but Collei was closing in with every corner. As they approached the first of five consecutive hairpins, Silverwolf saw Collei on the inside line. Panic set in.
Silverwolf slammed on the brakes, causing the front wheels to lock. Collei seized the opportunity. With a deft move, she executed her signature "Gutter Run," slingshotting past Silverwolf with stunning precision. The gap between them grew wider with each hairpin.
As they reached the final straightaway, Silverwolf was running on fumes. She tightened her grip on the wheel, her eyes steely with resolve. "At this rate, I'll lose. But another little nudge won't hurt. Especially at this speed."
Her eyes narrowed to slits. "It's time to send that junker to the scrapyard!"
In a last-ditch effort, Silverwolf tried to slam the rear of the Eight-Six. But Collei saw it coming. She drifted into the turn, and Silverwolf, realizing she would miss, slammed on the brakes. The front wheels locked up as she tried to steer into the turn. But it was too late. The Integra slammed into the guardrail, sliding along it with a deafening screech. The left side of the car scraped across the metal before coming to a halt.
Silverwolf sat in stunned silence as her wrecked Integra came to a stop. She removed the duct tape from her injured wrist and slowly stepped out of the car. She crouched, placing a hand on the hood.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, rubbing her fingers along the bent metal.
As she lingered in her sorrow, the sound of engines reached her ears. She straightened up, wiping a small tear from her eye. The convoy of cars pulled up beside her wrecked Integra.
Beidou flicked on her hazards and signaled for everyone to stop. Everyone poured out of their cars, their eyes wide as they took in the scene.
Beidou's voice held disbelief. "No way… Silverwolf wrecked out?!"
Seele was the first to approach, checking on Silverwolf. "Are you okay?!"
Yelan examined Silverwolf's right wrist, frowning. "This doesn't look good. Looks like her wrist's kaput."
Beidou stepped forward, pointing back toward her R32. "Come on, let's get you to the hospital."
Silverwolf shook her head, a faint tremble in her voice. "No… After what I've done to you? I can't accept it."
Seele's voice softened with concern. "Don't be unreasonable. It hurts like hell, doesn't it? Come on, let us help you."
March nodded, stepping forward. "Yeah, we know the nearest hospital here. Let us help."
Silverwolf wiped away a tear, nodding reluctantly. "Alright… Thanks… And... I'm sorry for almost wrecking you all..."
Beidou and Seele helped Silverwolf into the R32. March stood by, casting one last glance at the wrecked Integra.
"Collei's done it," she said, a hint of awe in her voice. "She won the Gum Tape Deathmatch."
She walked toward her Supra, and the convoy of cars set off toward the nearest hospital.
Back at the House of Arlecchino, Collei was confronted about the damages to the Eight-Six. Arlecchino's gaze was sharp, but there was a touch of concern in her voice.
"What in the hell happened to the car, Collei?"
Collei crouched, running her fingers over the damaged right quarter panel, her voice filled with a mix of anger and regret. "I was battling a real asshole. She bumped me from behind, causing me to spin. I was able to recover… then suddenly… I snapped, and gave chase."
She wiped a tear away, and Arlecchino placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Don't blame yourself, Collei," Arlecchino said softly. "We all snap sometimes. Myself included. But I wouldn't have hit the guardrails, though."
Arlecchino crouched down to Collei's height, a gentle smile on her face. "So... did you win?"
Collei nodded, a small but proud smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yeah... I won the race."
Arlecchino stood up, her smile widening. "That's my girl."
She walked back inside, leaving Collei alone with her damaged car. Collei ran her hand over the battered metal, whispering, "Beidou and the others treat their cars with dignity and care... I'm so sorry… Eight-Six..."