Two Days Later. It was just another ordinary day at the gas station. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden hue over everything. Collei and March were busy attending to a customer who was fueling up his car and cleaning the windshield. Their usual routine, one they had gotten used to after working together for so long. Meanwhile, Lyney, Seele, and Amber were gathered in the corner, engaged in a lively discussion about Collei's recent race at Amakane Pass.
Beidou, never one to shy away from giving her opinion, leaned back against a nearby post, crossing her arms. "We've got to admit, at this point, Collei's technique is genuinely the best of the best, by far. The real deal. Even if you take her away from Yougou." She nodded thoughtfully, her voice full of admiration.
Lyney, his fingers tapping on the edge of a nearby counter, murmured in response, "It's more than just technique, Beidou. You need a helluva tight grip on natural talent to race that well on a completely different pass."
Amber, standing with her hands on her hips, added her two cents, her voice filled with awe. "But still. The fact remains that Collei managed to beat all those racers with the finest sports cars, and she did it with an old Eight-Six from the Eighties. That's crazy!" She bowed her head slightly, as though in respect to Collei's prowess.
At that moment, Collei finished up with the customer. As she waved goodbye to the man and stepped back, a van pulling up caught her attention. The delivery man inside stepped out, holding a bouquet of roses in his hands. Moments later, Lyney was already grabbing the flowers, as the man handed them over and quickly left.
Lyney raised an eyebrow, scratching his head in confusion. "Flowers? Who's this from?"
He then noticed a note tucked inside the bouquet. His curiosity piqued, he opened it, glancing at its contents before quickly closing it again. Turning toward Collei, he said, "These are for you, kid."
Collei blinked in confusion. "Huh? Who's sending me flowers?"
Lyney, with a playful grin, replied, "The Tianquan, Ningguang. She sent these to you." He handed her the letter.
Collei took the letter from his hands, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened it. As she read the words, her eyes widened in disbelief. "No. Way..." she whispered under her breath.
Seele, ever the curious one, reached over and gently took the letter from Collei's hands. "Let me read it," she said softly. After a moment of reading, she looked up. "It says, 'Ten o'clock on Saturday, at the top of Yougou.'"
Beidou's eyes widened with realization. "So, it's happened. The Tianquan herself has challenged our girl to a downhill battle."
Amber put both hands on her head, her voice filled with awe. "The fastest racer in all of the Narukami prefecture..." she whispered in disbelief.
That night at the base of Araumi, a midnight purple FC roared up the downhill, its engine growling in the cool evening air. A sky blue Honda S2000 followed close behind, both cars seemingly racing one another. The two vehicles flew past the corners with ease, their drivers in perfect synchrony. As they entered another hairpin, a small group of spectators made remarks.
"Look at Keqing go! I'm telling you, she's improving the more she drives here!"
"And that S2K? That's Keqing's 'student,' Ganyu. She's been teaching Ganyu the ways of driving on mountain passes recently, and look at her go! She's driving just as fast!"
One of the other onlookers nodded. "Ganyu's a quick learner. And when Keqing doesn't feel like racing, Ganyu's always there to take her place."
As the two cars reached the parking lot near the start line, Ganyu pulled up beside Keqing's RX7, both drivers getting out.
"So... Umm... Keqing? Why aren't we challenging the Eight-Six of Yougou here at Araumi?" Ganyu asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
Keqing tilted her head, eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and wisdom. "Araumi, huh? Well, for Ningguang, she doesn't like bringing our opponents to our home turf. Plus, if we lost here, it would be an embarrassment to me and to the team." She took a slow sip from her bottle of water.
Ganyu, not one to shy away from a challenge, looked up at her mentor with a determined expression. "How about I challenge the Eight-Six?"
Keqing smirked, shaking her head. "That's not for you to do. Just let me and Ningguang handle this. We've still got an uphill battle to prepare with Yelan in Jinren Pass tomorrow. Leave this one to us." She patted Ganyu's shoulder before walking away.
As Keqing got into her RX7, she looked back at Ganyu, who stood there, deep in thought. "I'll see you tomorrow," Keqing said, her voice soft yet firm.
Ganyu's eyes narrowed as she watched Keqing drive off. She couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to race the Eight-Six. Somewhere not in Yougou, she thought to herself. It's my only chance to beat her. And if I win... I'll show you that I'm capable of more than you think. She muttered under her breath, her resolve strengthening.
The Following Morning. Collei arrived at the gas station, her usual routine in full swing. She had just finished her morning delivery run in the Eight-Six and stepped out of the car. Walking inside, she was greeted with the warm, welcoming smile of Arlecchino.
"Welcome back, kid. Breakfast is on the table," Arlecchino said, motioning toward the dining room.
"Alright," Collei replied, heading in that direction. But before she could reach the dining room, she stopped and turned toward Arlecchino. "Hey, Dad? Can I speak to you for a second?"
Arlecchino slid over in her seat, making room for Collei to sit. "Sure thing, kiddo. Have a seat."
Collei sat down beside her father, her voice soft but serious. "A couple of nights ago, I raced this girl up at Amakane Pass. She's an old friend of Beidou's. I thought the experience would be different, you know?"
She mimicked holding a steering wheel, her eyes distant as she recalled the race. "But when I was driving there, I realized how similar it is to Yougou Pass."
Arlecchino nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Hmm. That sounds about right."
Collei raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"
Arlecchino smiled slightly. "Of course. Sure, Amakane's different in a lot of ways, but a race there is as similar as one you'd run here. Think of it this way, Collei—it's not about where you're racing, but how much of Yougou you bring with you to the other courses."
Collei stood up, understanding dawning in her eyes. "I see how it is, Father."
Arlecchino smiled warmly. "Go on now, kiddo. Your breakfast is getting cold."
That Night at Jinren Pass. Beidou, Seele, Pela, and Amber arrived at Jinren Pass, where the race between Yelan and Keqing was about to take place. The atmosphere was electric, with a large crowd gathered around the starting line. Amber glanced around. "They've got a huge crowd here tonight," she observed.
Seele scanned the area, looking for Collei's Eight-Six. "Yeah, it's packed. But hey, where's Collei and March?"
Meanwhile, at a nearby intersection, Collei was struggling to find directions on her phone. "This sucks. Why does the signal have to be so bad here?" March complained.
Collei sighed, still swiping through her phone. "Relax, March. It's slow, but we're making progress."
"We might be late for this race!" March protested, glancing anxiously at the clock.
"I got it! We go left," Collei said decisively, putting her phone down.
"Then let's hurry!" March urged, ready to go.
Collei turned the car left and sped up Jinren Pass. The weather had begun to worsen, dark clouds rolling in as thunder rumbled ominously above. At the parking area at the base of Jinren, Keqing and Yelan were in deep conversation.
"You know you're late, right, Keqing?" Yelan said with a scoff.
Keqing, never one to be rattled, smirked. "There's a saying, Yelan. The main character comes late."
She looked up at the darkening sky. "Looks like we might get some rain," she mused.
Yelan nodded. "Yeah, things are getting even more interesting now."
Keqing's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Did you learn your lesson and de-tune your Blackbird?"
Yelan smirked, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. "Yeah. From 700 horsepower to about 400. And I changed the tires, too."
The sound of a car engine roared in the distance. Two headlights emerged from the corner, drawing attention.
"Look who decided to show up," Yelan said with a smirk.
The Eight-Six appeared, climbing the hill slowly, taking it easy as it approached the course packed with spectators. Collei and March parked the Eight-Six beside Amber's Sileighty.
"Look who decided to show up," Amber teased, hands on her hips.
Collei waved, walking toward the group. "Hey there, guys!"
Beidou and Seele turned toward her with wide grins. "There's our superstar," Beidou winked.
Collei giggled. "Stop it, Beidou! Let's just focus on the race."
March tapped Collei on the shoulder. "So, what do you think of this course, Collei?"
Collei looked around, taking in the fast corners and wide hairpins. "I kinda like it. Lots of fast corners and wide hairpins. It helps me keep my speed up on cornering."
Amber grinned. "If you raced here, do you think you'd win?"
Collei giggled, shaking her head. "We're seriously talking about this now, huh? Well, we'll have to see in a downhill race."
The group laughed, their camaraderie evident. Back at the base, both Yelan's Blackbird and Keqing's RX7 lined up at the start line. Silverwolf, with a cast on her right arm, guided them into position.
"The summit's clear of traffic. We're ready to race," a coordinator's voice crackled over the radio.
The coordinator walked up to Silverwolf. "We're good to go. We can start any time now."
An intense uphill battle was about to unfold at Yelan's home course. With the weather shifting, the race was bound to become even more unpredictable. Blackbirds, after all, didn't like the wet.