Eddie Hsu
Champion of Pride
The steep mountain pass of Myogi cast a cloak of shadows over the shape of Takeshi Nakazato and his Nissan Skyline. During the day, Myogi's deep valleys were a spectacular sight to behold, but during the night, the serene valleys would become a deathtrap that had stolen the life of at least one unlucky driver and injured dozens more. Breathing heavily and leaning on the steering wheel for support, Takeshi looked more like an amateur cross-country runner than the infamous "Black Lightning" of Myogi. With slow, deliberate movements, Takeshi opened the door to gauge the damage to his car. To his lack of surprise, he found that his car had become part of the mountain. His right-view mirror had been completely destroyed by the impact. Worse, the flawless paint that shrouded his car in a cloak of black now had a set of unforgiving gray scratches, as if a giant cat had drawn its claws upon the vehicle. All because of him. Remembering that he had grown up on this mountain, practiced on this mountain, and over time, developed affection towards the mountain, did little to ease the hopelessness and gloom that permeated his heart. Sitting on his haunches next to his car, Takeshi replayed the events in his mind that just moments before had given him a brush with death. His life had been spared, but his Skyline, along with his pride had been shattered.
* * *
A blade forged from pride…
While many spectators viewed the periodic races on the mountain passes as a way to meet local racing heroes, Takeshi, like many other racers, saw the races, or "battles" as the races were often called, as a duel. Racers lived for the battle. Rivalries were settled, legends were born and forgotten, and honor and pride of racers were defended and put to shame. Emotion, Takeshi knew, had the potential to change the outcome of battles. Takeshi knew too well his own weaknesses – his desire to win, his fear of losing, and the constant stress of a battle threw his mind into chaos. Amidst Takeshi's fears, there was one thing he was certain of: on Myogi, Takeshi Nakazato, could not be defeated.
Tonight, Takeshi had felt none of the confidence that allowed him to defeat his enemies. In his years, Takeshi had successfully defended his "fastest of Myogi" title. Tonight was different though: The "Emperor" team of the Saitama prefecture had begun their invasion of the Gunma prefecture. For the first time, the four superpowers of Gunma, the Myogi Night Kids, the Akina Speed Stars, the Akagi Red Suns, and the Usui Impact Blue teams would stand united against the foreign invaders. Tonight, he would fight not only for his own pride, not only for the Night Kids' pride, but also for the pride of all the racers of the Gunma prefecture. In the cool Japanese summer night, Takeshi breathed deeply. He had never felt more alive. With no clouds to obstruct the metallic light of the moon, Takeshi felt rejuvenated, alert, ready. The conditions were ideal. He was in a good mood. The Myogi Night Kids congregated in a corner where many young spectators swooned and giggled at the sight of the more attractive members of the team. Takeshi stood apart from the rest of his team. Despite being the leader of the Night Kids, Takeshi Nakazato despised attention and avoided it whenever possible. Solitude gave Takeshi the silence needed to reflect upon his thoughts. But like many racers, once Takeshi found himself behind the wheel of a car, his shy personality melted away. Behind the wheel of his Skyline, Takeshi was aggressive. In his Skyline, he was the "Black Lightning" of Myogi. Tonight, the Black Lightning returned to Myogi to win the battle against the invaders. And win he would.
* * *
The blade forged from pride must overcome a trial through fire…
At precisely the appointed time of 10:00 PM, the invasion began. Over time, Emperor had earned the nickname of the "Lan-Evo Corps". From watching the effortless movements of the Emperor cars, Takeshi silently agreed that the "Lan-Evo Corps" truly did the team justice. The arrival of Emperor momentarily reminded Takeshi of the Japanese Imperial Army in the World War II movies he watched as a child. Every member of Emperor drove the same car: The Lancer Evolution. Larger, bulkier, but swifter and stronger than most legal streetcars, the Lan-Evos gave Takeshi a momentary impression that the Lan-Evos were not cars, but tanks moving into his territory. For an instant, Takeshi felt very much like the Chinese farmers in the war movies – powerless to stop the slow but steady advance of the enemy. But in Takeshi's case, the enemy was anything but slow. In contrast to the all Lan-Evo parade of cars that had reached the parking lot, the Night Kid's fleet resembled a zoo; members of the Night Kids drove any car they wished. Takeshi sighed. If the Night Kids had enough money to buy a few Lan-Evos, We could... His fantasy trailed off. The crowd's support for the Night Kids faltered as they diverted their attention from the Night Kids to the row of tanks that lined up for war. In the end, my technique will end Emperor's reign… I hope…
As each Emperor left his car to bask in the crowd's admiration, Takeshi disliked them. One by one, members of Emperor left their car, lazily leaned on their Lan-Evos for support, lit cigarettes, and lazily grinned at the Night Kids. Emperor's show of nonchalance sent a clear message to Takeshi: You don't stand a chance. Takeshi strained to keep the anger from showing on his face as he clenched his fists. Don't laugh yet. He glared at Kyochi Sudou, the leader of emperor who calmly surveyed his team's preparation without a hint of emotion on his face. Even so, the commanding aura that radiated from Kyochi momentarily made Takeshi very small.
...The success of the weapon of pride will result in a fine edge…
"We'll settle this with a hill climb. One match." Kyochi certainly didn't want to waste any time.
"Fine." The sooner Takeshi defeated Emperor, the better. Emperor's self-confidence had struck a nerve. Many years ago, a young Takeshi Nakazato had lost a vital battle because of his own self-confidence. He had learned from his mistake.
"Oh, one last thing." Kyochi's voice was annoying. Takeshi tried hard to suppress his anger. Wearing his own emotionless mask, Takeshi turned to face him.
"If you lose, we want your Night Kids sticker." This was certainly strange. Takeshi cared little about the banners that every racer placed on their car to designate their allegiance. But the conditions mattered little to Takeshi. He knew Myogi better than anyone else. No foreigner could best him on his mountain.
"Fine."
"Very well. Then let us begin. Seiji, come here." Kyochi stepped aside for a white Lancer Evolution IV to pull up to the starting line. He's not going to race me? What is this? Why? The driver rolled down his window, sending a sideways grin to Takeshi. The driver was certainly ugly. He looked like the human incarnation of a Lan-Evo. As bulky as an American Football player, as ugly as the chassis, Ikawi Seiji even had a small ponytail that modeled the Lan-Evo's side wings. Kyochi was even worse than Seiji, if it was possible. While Kyochi looked at the Night Kids with disdain, Seiji was simply cocky. Takeshi glared at Seiji. The idiot probably felt that Emperor's conquest of Myogi would be a simple chore. Tonight, he was the Champion of Gunma. The fate of Gunma rested on his shoulders. On his right, his fellow Night Kids nodded respectfully at him. We're with you. Show them the spirit of the Night Kids. On his left Seiji leaned back in his seat, smoking a cigarette. Can't you be serious about anything?!? Takeshi sighed. Seiji's confidence made him nervous. On the hood of Seiji's Lan-Evo IV, the words MONSTAR were painted in dark red roman letters.
"...Monstar?" Takeshi wondered out loud. "Monstar..? What? Monster?"
Takeshi came to the conclusion that the oaf Seiji probably meant to put the English word "Monster" on his car, but misspelled it like the idiot he was. If that's what high school English taught you, you clearly need to go back. Takeshi smiled. He had the perfect technique, the perfect car, and the perfect confidence needed to score a perfect victory that night.
"Sutaato go byu made!" Five seconds until the start. Five seconds until the beginning of the end of Emperor. Takeshi revved up his Skyline, happy that the sound of his engine drowned out the sound of the Lan-Evo.
"Yon!" Four seconds. For his pride
"San!" Three seconds. For the pride of the Night Kids
"Ni!" Two seconds. For the pride of Gunma.
"Ichi!" One second. He was Takeshi Nakazato, the champion of Gunma.
"GO!" He was the Black Lightning of Myogi. He would not be denied
* * *
...While the failure of the pride will cause the weapon to shatter.
As expected, Takeshi found himself in the lead. Seiji wasn't stupid enough to take the lead so soon in an unfamiliar course. Staying behind Takeshi gave him the advantage of having someone to follow. Takeshi had driven the course hundreds of times. Good cornering was the most vital aspect of racing. Taking advantage of his Skyline's Four Wheel Drive, Takeshi maneuvered through the first corner with practiced precision. Hah. I'll send your ambitions deep into Myogi's valleys. From his rear mirror, Takeshi saw Seiji initiate a braking drift – stepping on the brakes hard enough to create a loss of grip from the back wheels. Drifting, the art of letting a car slide was for show as far as Takeshi was concerned. Drifting through the corners at high speeds was incredibly difficult to do, as well as dangerous, but Takeshi believed that grip driving, never letting his car lose traction, was the formula for the fastest racing. The crowds loved drifting and would let out a cheer every time a car drifted past them, but the smell of burning tires afterwards was enough to drive the people away. Takeshi cared little about the people. He raced for himself, not for the amusement of the people. I'll show you the difference in class. By the second corner, Takeshi had already pushed himself to 100 kilometers per hour. Glancing back at Seiji revealed that he was not as stupid as he had thought. Going into a medium speed corner, Seiji had used the "Clutch Kick" – depressing the clutch going into corner, and then releasing it quickly to send a jolt through the car to eliminate rear traction. The Lancer Evolution drifted well. Going into the second corner Seiji had turned his car almost 90 degrees, drifted for 20 feet, coming four centimeters to the guardrail before stabilizing his vehicle. I am the champion of Gunma!
Having the Lan-Evo's lights in his rear-view mirror made Takeshi nervous. Even as he tried to keep his eyes on the road, the Lan-Evo's lights blinded him in the mirror. I can't lose! Coming upon a straight section of the road, Takeshi switched from fourth to fifth gear. I must protect the reputation of Gunma's high level of skill! If I don't protect Gunma.. He switched from fifth to six gear. Who will? Takeshi's mind grew less clear as he nervously glanced back and forth between the mirror and the road. Control yourself! This isn't helping! Not paying attention to the Lan- Evo's movements, Seiji passed him in the middle of a drift. You can't be serious! Don't mess around with me! I… I am the protector… the champion… what? Why? This is my mountain! I still have a chance! I'll attack him on this corner... Takeshi entered the next corner matching the speed of the Lan-Evo. Too late, he realized, that it was his fatal mistake. His Skyline lacked the mobility to drift out of a turn, while Seiji's drift allowed him to enter turns at much higher speeds than Takeshi could manage. The mountain he thought he knew so well became his enemy. Gunma's hope… No.. Takeshi felt the slight sensation of a breeze as he crashed into roadside cliffs. ... Invaders of Myogi… Desperately, he attempted to come to a stop. He had escaped with his life, but his pride was broken. Champion… He had brought shame to all of Gunma.
* * *
Failure… How could you fail? Our own home course… Millions of voices appeared in Takeshi's head questioning… accusing… hating. Sooner or later, he would have to face Emperor and Night Kids and accept his defeat. The Lan-Evo corps had completely overrun Myogi. My pride… He knew why Emperor asked for his sticker if he was to lose. The spoiler of Seiji's car was covered with banners of other teams cut into two, much like American fighter planes during World War II. The Night Kids was just another name on Emperor's list of losers. I…lost. The shock of losing had still not set in. Takeshi sighed sadly. His weeks of practice had all been in vain. He could do nothing put gather the remnants of his pride and return to face a triumphant Seiji and Kyochi. Gunma would fall. ...I am an idiot...
Champion of Pride
The steep mountain pass of Myogi cast a cloak of shadows over the shape of Takeshi Nakazato and his Nissan Skyline. During the day, Myogi's deep valleys were a spectacular sight to behold, but during the night, the serene valleys would become a deathtrap that had stolen the life of at least one unlucky driver and injured dozens more. Breathing heavily and leaning on the steering wheel for support, Takeshi looked more like an amateur cross-country runner than the infamous "Black Lightning" of Myogi. With slow, deliberate movements, Takeshi opened the door to gauge the damage to his car. To his lack of surprise, he found that his car had become part of the mountain. His right-view mirror had been completely destroyed by the impact. Worse, the flawless paint that shrouded his car in a cloak of black now had a set of unforgiving gray scratches, as if a giant cat had drawn its claws upon the vehicle. All because of him. Remembering that he had grown up on this mountain, practiced on this mountain, and over time, developed affection towards the mountain, did little to ease the hopelessness and gloom that permeated his heart. Sitting on his haunches next to his car, Takeshi replayed the events in his mind that just moments before had given him a brush with death. His life had been spared, but his Skyline, along with his pride had been shattered.
* * *
A blade forged from pride…
While many spectators viewed the periodic races on the mountain passes as a way to meet local racing heroes, Takeshi, like many other racers, saw the races, or "battles" as the races were often called, as a duel. Racers lived for the battle. Rivalries were settled, legends were born and forgotten, and honor and pride of racers were defended and put to shame. Emotion, Takeshi knew, had the potential to change the outcome of battles. Takeshi knew too well his own weaknesses – his desire to win, his fear of losing, and the constant stress of a battle threw his mind into chaos. Amidst Takeshi's fears, there was one thing he was certain of: on Myogi, Takeshi Nakazato, could not be defeated.
Tonight, Takeshi had felt none of the confidence that allowed him to defeat his enemies. In his years, Takeshi had successfully defended his "fastest of Myogi" title. Tonight was different though: The "Emperor" team of the Saitama prefecture had begun their invasion of the Gunma prefecture. For the first time, the four superpowers of Gunma, the Myogi Night Kids, the Akina Speed Stars, the Akagi Red Suns, and the Usui Impact Blue teams would stand united against the foreign invaders. Tonight, he would fight not only for his own pride, not only for the Night Kids' pride, but also for the pride of all the racers of the Gunma prefecture. In the cool Japanese summer night, Takeshi breathed deeply. He had never felt more alive. With no clouds to obstruct the metallic light of the moon, Takeshi felt rejuvenated, alert, ready. The conditions were ideal. He was in a good mood. The Myogi Night Kids congregated in a corner where many young spectators swooned and giggled at the sight of the more attractive members of the team. Takeshi stood apart from the rest of his team. Despite being the leader of the Night Kids, Takeshi Nakazato despised attention and avoided it whenever possible. Solitude gave Takeshi the silence needed to reflect upon his thoughts. But like many racers, once Takeshi found himself behind the wheel of a car, his shy personality melted away. Behind the wheel of his Skyline, Takeshi was aggressive. In his Skyline, he was the "Black Lightning" of Myogi. Tonight, the Black Lightning returned to Myogi to win the battle against the invaders. And win he would.
* * *
The blade forged from pride must overcome a trial through fire…
At precisely the appointed time of 10:00 PM, the invasion began. Over time, Emperor had earned the nickname of the "Lan-Evo Corps". From watching the effortless movements of the Emperor cars, Takeshi silently agreed that the "Lan-Evo Corps" truly did the team justice. The arrival of Emperor momentarily reminded Takeshi of the Japanese Imperial Army in the World War II movies he watched as a child. Every member of Emperor drove the same car: The Lancer Evolution. Larger, bulkier, but swifter and stronger than most legal streetcars, the Lan-Evos gave Takeshi a momentary impression that the Lan-Evos were not cars, but tanks moving into his territory. For an instant, Takeshi felt very much like the Chinese farmers in the war movies – powerless to stop the slow but steady advance of the enemy. But in Takeshi's case, the enemy was anything but slow. In contrast to the all Lan-Evo parade of cars that had reached the parking lot, the Night Kid's fleet resembled a zoo; members of the Night Kids drove any car they wished. Takeshi sighed. If the Night Kids had enough money to buy a few Lan-Evos, We could... His fantasy trailed off. The crowd's support for the Night Kids faltered as they diverted their attention from the Night Kids to the row of tanks that lined up for war. In the end, my technique will end Emperor's reign… I hope…
As each Emperor left his car to bask in the crowd's admiration, Takeshi disliked them. One by one, members of Emperor left their car, lazily leaned on their Lan-Evos for support, lit cigarettes, and lazily grinned at the Night Kids. Emperor's show of nonchalance sent a clear message to Takeshi: You don't stand a chance. Takeshi strained to keep the anger from showing on his face as he clenched his fists. Don't laugh yet. He glared at Kyochi Sudou, the leader of emperor who calmly surveyed his team's preparation without a hint of emotion on his face. Even so, the commanding aura that radiated from Kyochi momentarily made Takeshi very small.
...The success of the weapon of pride will result in a fine edge…
"We'll settle this with a hill climb. One match." Kyochi certainly didn't want to waste any time.
"Fine." The sooner Takeshi defeated Emperor, the better. Emperor's self-confidence had struck a nerve. Many years ago, a young Takeshi Nakazato had lost a vital battle because of his own self-confidence. He had learned from his mistake.
"Oh, one last thing." Kyochi's voice was annoying. Takeshi tried hard to suppress his anger. Wearing his own emotionless mask, Takeshi turned to face him.
"If you lose, we want your Night Kids sticker." This was certainly strange. Takeshi cared little about the banners that every racer placed on their car to designate their allegiance. But the conditions mattered little to Takeshi. He knew Myogi better than anyone else. No foreigner could best him on his mountain.
"Fine."
"Very well. Then let us begin. Seiji, come here." Kyochi stepped aside for a white Lancer Evolution IV to pull up to the starting line. He's not going to race me? What is this? Why? The driver rolled down his window, sending a sideways grin to Takeshi. The driver was certainly ugly. He looked like the human incarnation of a Lan-Evo. As bulky as an American Football player, as ugly as the chassis, Ikawi Seiji even had a small ponytail that modeled the Lan-Evo's side wings. Kyochi was even worse than Seiji, if it was possible. While Kyochi looked at the Night Kids with disdain, Seiji was simply cocky. Takeshi glared at Seiji. The idiot probably felt that Emperor's conquest of Myogi would be a simple chore. Tonight, he was the Champion of Gunma. The fate of Gunma rested on his shoulders. On his right, his fellow Night Kids nodded respectfully at him. We're with you. Show them the spirit of the Night Kids. On his left Seiji leaned back in his seat, smoking a cigarette. Can't you be serious about anything?!? Takeshi sighed. Seiji's confidence made him nervous. On the hood of Seiji's Lan-Evo IV, the words MONSTAR were painted in dark red roman letters.
"...Monstar?" Takeshi wondered out loud. "Monstar..? What? Monster?"
Takeshi came to the conclusion that the oaf Seiji probably meant to put the English word "Monster" on his car, but misspelled it like the idiot he was. If that's what high school English taught you, you clearly need to go back. Takeshi smiled. He had the perfect technique, the perfect car, and the perfect confidence needed to score a perfect victory that night.
"Sutaato go byu made!" Five seconds until the start. Five seconds until the beginning of the end of Emperor. Takeshi revved up his Skyline, happy that the sound of his engine drowned out the sound of the Lan-Evo.
"Yon!" Four seconds. For his pride
"San!" Three seconds. For the pride of the Night Kids
"Ni!" Two seconds. For the pride of Gunma.
"Ichi!" One second. He was Takeshi Nakazato, the champion of Gunma.
"GO!" He was the Black Lightning of Myogi. He would not be denied
* * *
...While the failure of the pride will cause the weapon to shatter.
As expected, Takeshi found himself in the lead. Seiji wasn't stupid enough to take the lead so soon in an unfamiliar course. Staying behind Takeshi gave him the advantage of having someone to follow. Takeshi had driven the course hundreds of times. Good cornering was the most vital aspect of racing. Taking advantage of his Skyline's Four Wheel Drive, Takeshi maneuvered through the first corner with practiced precision. Hah. I'll send your ambitions deep into Myogi's valleys. From his rear mirror, Takeshi saw Seiji initiate a braking drift – stepping on the brakes hard enough to create a loss of grip from the back wheels. Drifting, the art of letting a car slide was for show as far as Takeshi was concerned. Drifting through the corners at high speeds was incredibly difficult to do, as well as dangerous, but Takeshi believed that grip driving, never letting his car lose traction, was the formula for the fastest racing. The crowds loved drifting and would let out a cheer every time a car drifted past them, but the smell of burning tires afterwards was enough to drive the people away. Takeshi cared little about the people. He raced for himself, not for the amusement of the people. I'll show you the difference in class. By the second corner, Takeshi had already pushed himself to 100 kilometers per hour. Glancing back at Seiji revealed that he was not as stupid as he had thought. Going into a medium speed corner, Seiji had used the "Clutch Kick" – depressing the clutch going into corner, and then releasing it quickly to send a jolt through the car to eliminate rear traction. The Lancer Evolution drifted well. Going into the second corner Seiji had turned his car almost 90 degrees, drifted for 20 feet, coming four centimeters to the guardrail before stabilizing his vehicle. I am the champion of Gunma!
Having the Lan-Evo's lights in his rear-view mirror made Takeshi nervous. Even as he tried to keep his eyes on the road, the Lan-Evo's lights blinded him in the mirror. I can't lose! Coming upon a straight section of the road, Takeshi switched from fourth to fifth gear. I must protect the reputation of Gunma's high level of skill! If I don't protect Gunma.. He switched from fifth to six gear. Who will? Takeshi's mind grew less clear as he nervously glanced back and forth between the mirror and the road. Control yourself! This isn't helping! Not paying attention to the Lan- Evo's movements, Seiji passed him in the middle of a drift. You can't be serious! Don't mess around with me! I… I am the protector… the champion… what? Why? This is my mountain! I still have a chance! I'll attack him on this corner... Takeshi entered the next corner matching the speed of the Lan-Evo. Too late, he realized, that it was his fatal mistake. His Skyline lacked the mobility to drift out of a turn, while Seiji's drift allowed him to enter turns at much higher speeds than Takeshi could manage. The mountain he thought he knew so well became his enemy. Gunma's hope… No.. Takeshi felt the slight sensation of a breeze as he crashed into roadside cliffs. ... Invaders of Myogi… Desperately, he attempted to come to a stop. He had escaped with his life, but his pride was broken. Champion… He had brought shame to all of Gunma.
* * *
Failure… How could you fail? Our own home course… Millions of voices appeared in Takeshi's head questioning… accusing… hating. Sooner or later, he would have to face Emperor and Night Kids and accept his defeat. The Lan-Evo corps had completely overrun Myogi. My pride… He knew why Emperor asked for his sticker if he was to lose. The spoiler of Seiji's car was covered with banners of other teams cut into two, much like American fighter planes during World War II. The Night Kids was just another name on Emperor's list of losers. I…lost. The shock of losing had still not set in. Takeshi sighed sadly. His weeks of practice had all been in vain. He could do nothing put gather the remnants of his pride and return to face a triumphant Seiji and Kyochi. Gunma would fall. ...I am an idiot...