III
33: Akina's Battle
III
Fumihiro pressed the button on his walkie with a beep. "All crewmembers report in by order from the top of the hill downward."
"This is the first hairpin, road's clear."
"The straight in front of the skating rink, clear as well."
"Checkpoint one, the road is clear."
"Hairpin seventeen, all clear."
"Second checkpoint, we're clear too."
"This is the five hairpin turns, no cars."
"Third checkpoint, no cars."
"This is the finish line, no cars either."
Fumihiro spoke into his walkie. "The starting line is clear too and both cars are in position to begin the race. I'll begin the countdown now."
"Wait!" said Keisuke, then jumping over the guardrail and walking up to Fumihiro. "Just this once, let me start the countdown."
Fumihiro handed him his walkie. "The entire mountain has to hear you loud and clear to not change the timing of the stopwatches. You understand right?"
Keisuke just nodded as Fumihiro moved off the starting line.
'Something tells me I just have to be here when they start!'
"Start your engines for the countdown!" said Keisuke loudly raising his hand.
The headlights of the 86 and FC flipped upward. The N/A 13B-Ts of the FC whirred through the revs, as Takumi's Bluetop 4AG revved as well.
"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" Keisuke threw his hand down, yelling clearly into his walkie. "Go!"
The moment Keisuke finished the countdown, Ryosuke and Takumi flew past him so fast his blonde hair had air flying through it. Sending his yellow locks flying about.
"Come on! Takumi!" Kenji and Itsuki shouted.
Ryosuke changed gears calmly, holding back his twin rotaries to let Takumi take the lead.
On the long first straight, Ryosuke watched as Takumi pulled ahead, now following the 86 downhill.
Both rotaries in the FC hissed and spun, Ryosuke pressing the gas as the 86 was in the leading position.
The 86 and the FC flew down Akina's first straightaway, Takumi leading Ryosuke into the first hairpin, a sharp yet wide left turn.
Seeing the turn approach, Ryosuke and Takumi braked, downshifted, and steered hard to the left and then lightly to the right. The resulting twin drift was so fast the entire crowd was amazed.
"They're going at the same speed!"
"Look at 'em go! Damn!"
As the 86 and the FC drifted side by side, their front tires screeching loudly, they were nearly touching the guardrail and each other. Everyone who was watching gasped at the display of speed and control. Both cars were drifting past rows of people, their drift nearly touching the guardrail.
The crew member there beeped his walkie. "This is incredible! Ryosuke's on the 86' line so perfectly their cornering is almost identical!"
Watching from behind quietly, Ryosuke changed gears the moment the corner ended. His FC's exit speed was so high that only by opening the throttle a little he continued to tailgate the 86 downhill.
Takumi didn't see this, as he was already accelerating down Akina's hill. Because Ryosuke's engine was so much better tuned, Ryosuke wasn't surprised at all his acceleration in the straight section was so much superior overall, easily being able to keep up after the first hairpin.
During the next long straight, Ryosuke didn't attack, instead staying attached to Takumi's rear bumper.
Ryosuke stayed focused, not moving his eyes off the 86's tail, which was practically right in front of him. His control of the throttle was so strong that just by pressing the gas just a little, the FC remained perfectly in order at his every command despite the speed he was reaching.
The white FC and the Panda Trueno 86 were going so fast downhill that every bit of grass or nearby tree branches that could be caught from their speed whipped by in the direction they moved downhill.
'Severe right corner. Full braking, using the FC's gearbox to the fullest bit of its potential and apply drift strongly enough while not shredding the front tires.'
As Ryosuke knew the straight was ending, he had memorized his simulation so well that he began his drift before Takumi, braking earlier and changing to a lower gear while making the FC face inside. Takumi didn't see this either, beginning his drift after Ryosuke's.
During the transition between the straight and the curve, the incredibly sharp right turn was cleared almost perfectly by both the 86 and the FC, applying a full-speed four-wheel drift during the entire turn.
His downshift changing the tone of his 13B-T's roar, Ryosuke's drift was immaculate. From every aspect of his technique, he was matching Takumi's 86 in cornering speed.
Leaving the hairpin, the FC was already attached to the 86' rear bumper by the time the straightaway began.
During the next corner, the 86 and the FC twin drifted again, and it could be seen to the dozens of people behind the guardrail that the almost non-existent gap between the 86 and the FC had closed. The white FC and panda 86 were clearing hairpin turns together at the same pace, and they were again almost touching.
The tires of the 86 and FC screeched almost in complete harmony, Ryosuke left side door a half-millimeter from touching the 86' driver side door during the turn. Ryosuke began shifting sooner than Takumi, but despite the FC's speed, he had enough faith and dedication to his fastest racer theory to not bump the 86 from behind.
Screeching loudly, both cars cleared the left hairpin in another full-speed twin drift.
Ryosuke's front bumper was on the verge of touching the 86 when leaving the corner, but he was in such control of the FC there wasn't contact.
Instead he knew that as his FC moved forward linearly, the 86 would already begin stabilizing and recover from the drift already being well enough ahead to not get hit. As the rear of the FC and the 86 whipped around another turn and nearly bumped the guardrail together, Ryosuke already began accelerating, not giving up an inch of ground to the 86, instead still remaining attached to its bumper the whole way down Akina.
Their cars zooming downhill on the straightaway after the turn had ended, Ryosuke's twin rotaries hissed like a jet engine as they spun from how well maintained they were.
'His steering has improved drastically in the short time since his last race. I've predicted this so well in my training that I won't have to change the original strategy in the slightest. Meaning only one thing.'
Soaring past cheering crowds of people, the FC and the 86 drifted through the entire turn, a tight right C-shaped corner. The whole corner, the rears of both cars were a half-millimeter from touching the guardrail.
The FC was again so close to the 86 that one wouldn't be remiss for thinking they could touch during their twin drift.
Ryosuke squinted slightly at the rear of the 86 after recovering quickly from a quickly completed corner.
'Twin drifting at this speed means I have to push the FC more than I ever have. But not a single system is acting abnormally, so I still have to stick to this strategy. Were it not for Gamer's mind and my own predictions, his speed would be frightening in every way. He's incredible.'
During the extremely wide and long U-shaped leftward hairpin, Ryosuke continued to think, again staying dangerously close to the 86 while drifting.
'His technique and overall speed is unlike any other I've faced so far on the downhill. Faster, better, and yet with better management of his tires still.'
Ryosuke saw an opportunity to try to pass from how late Takumi began braking for the long drift. Still, he held back, Ryosuke ignoring the easy chance at attempting an early overtake.
'Patience FC.' Ryosuke placed a thoughtful hand on his steering wheel while continuing to stick to the 86' rear like glue. 'We'll have our chance later. We can't risk too much tire strength so early.'
During the next sharp and tight right corner, Ryosuke entered the turn again at the same speed as Takumi. Again both cars were so close the front side of the white FC nearly touched the rear bumper of the 86.
Ryosuke's FC was so well tuned that during the high speed turn counter steering was even easier for him, and he controlled his car perfectly the whole way through.
It immediately became clear to Takumi that even his high speed signature tofu drift in his 86 was no match for Ryosuke, he couldn't lose him, even at full speed.
During the early S hairpins, both the white FC and the 86 zipped down the previous straight practically flying to any spectators who were watching.
Ryosuke was able to time his heel and toe downshift to Takumi's braking drift point for point, copying his style so well it nearly appeared the FC and the 86 were cornering as if they were the same car.
Their speeds were the same, the way in which they turned their cars to face the inside and clear the turn nearly touching the guardrail and each other made nearly everyone in the gallery cheer.
"What incredible speed!"
"Ryosuke Takahashi! They don't call him the best for no reason!" another spectator said as the white FC stayed attached to the 86 bumper.
As Takumi tried losing him, the straight offered him no advantage. His bluetop 4AG revved efficiently, but was no match for the 210 horses of Ryosuke's N/A 13B-Ts.
Unable to create any sort of gap on the straightaway, Takumi tried to pull away in the corners to no avail.
When entering the left hairpin turn, Takumi went as fast as he could. Ryosuke was able to keep up with ease, not losing any ground at all, drifting side by side with the 86 during the sharp yet long left corner. His tires screeching loudly, the 86 and FC faced the inside, clearing the hairpin together. Ryosuke changed gears exiting the hairpin.
The white FC hissed, all 210 horses roaring as the 13B-Ts spun. Ryosuke pressed the gas on the straight, tailgating the 86 during the entire straightaway. When Takumi again tried to drift at full speed to lose him, the result was the same.
Ryosuke had copied Takumi's style so well that the FC didn't lose any speed during the four wheel drift. As he cleared the hairpin turn, Takumi saw Ryosuke in his peripheral vision, drifting right next to him.
'What the- How is he so close?'
The 86 flew out of the turn, nearly touching the guardrail a split second before the FC did the same. As the straight began, Ryosuke was already accelerating before Takumi could, knowing the 86 would try and pull away again.
Takumi shifted, pressing the gas out of the corner.
On the next hairpin turn, Takumi pressed the brakes as Ryosuke did the same. The red taillights to the FC and 86 glowed, both cars backing up before facing left and twin drifting together.
'Why can't I lose him!?'
Takumi desperately accelerated down the next straight, pushing his 86 harder downhill.
Even at full throttle, the 86 couldn't lose the FC in either the corners or the straights. Ryosuke was still able to keep up his pace when cornering, having expected Takumi would try and lose him.
The 86 and the FC zipped down the straight loudly, their tires screeching together when tackling the hairpin turn. As they entered the left corner, Ryosuke calmly executed his braking drift while Takumi was sweating in the exertion he placed on his 86.
As his keys hung in the air during his four-wheel drift, Takumi pressed the gas and barely counter-steered to stabilize the car. As the corner ended, the 86 swung out of the turn and nearly grazed the guardrail, again the FC doing the very same a fraction of a second after Takumi did.
'The best of the best. No wonder I can't lose him. Even in the turns he's still right there, right on my tail!'
The FC's muffler hummed as hot air flew loudly from it, Ryosuke pressing the gas to keep up the pressure he knew would begin to mount on Takumi.
III
The moment Takumi looked into his rearview he began to feel the pressure begin to mount.
His headlights shining in the 86' rear view mirror, Ryosuke knew that cornering at the same speed as Takumi was beginning to tear away at his confidence little by little. His white FC remained as it had since the first hairpin turn, right on the tail of the 86.
Trying to lose Ryosuke again, Takumi pushed his 86 even harder, trying to go faster into the slow right followed by one of the sharpest left turns on Akina pass.
Ryosuke still followed Takumi at the same speed he could corner, the FC drifting right next to the 86 again.
'He's breaking. It's one of the many downsides of being an inexperienced racer.'
Takumi only got more and more nervous as the hairpins went on.
Following the quick straight sections, Takumi entered a L shaped right turn, the 86 screeching through the turn, with Ryosuke not a fraction of a second slower. The FC was yet again matching the 86' speed in both the straightaways and especially the corners.
His FC zipping down Akina, its speed making a loud zooming sound with Takumi down Akina's hill, Ryosuke changed gears to accelerate down the next straightaway.
Ryosuke still didn't remove his eyes from Takumi's bumper in thought.
'There's a right turn at the end of this long straight. It's an incredibly sharp corner, if I don't stay back, we'll crash into each other from how nervous he's getting. Starting from the first checkpoint, coming now, he's eventually let me pass him just before the second one.'
Intentionally moving back, Ryosuke created room by slowing down before the next hairpin turn. As the 86 began to drift, Takumi lost even more confidence seeing how Ryosuke was able to anticipate his exact speed into the corner, even holding back while doing so. And how well he was able to close distance during the turn with the distance he accounted for.
Cornering quickly, Ryosuke changed gears when leaving the turn as Takumi began to feel the pressure continue to mount. The FC's twin rotaries hummed with power as Ryosuke pressed the gas, opening the throttle so well that he again returned to tailgating the 86.
"This is the first checkpoint! That 86 can't shake the FC at all!"
'Six more hairpins.' thought Ryosuke while moving the FC to the left side of the road attached to the 86' rear bumper. 'And he'll overaccelerate and I'll pass him. Exactly six. Six more corners starting now.'
Taking the outside line, Ryosuke did his classic 'outside drift' on Takumi. The white FC faced the inside, Takumi getting even more nervous as he was drifting just as fast as he could. His cornering speed perfect, Ryosuke's braking was so strong the FC didn't slide about at all during any part of the four wheel drift, even from how fast he entered the turn at the same speed as the 86.
'One.' Ryosuke ignored another opportunity to try to pass the 86, moving again right behind Takumi.
"Even from the outside! Ryosuke's beating that 86!" a spectator said.
Flying down the next straight together, Ryosuke was so close to Takumi that he could scarcely see the next hairpin. But he didn't need to, instead having memorized Akina so well that his corner was fast enough that even Takumi's super drift didn't lose him. As both the 86 and FC cleared the turn together drifting at full speed, Takumi could feel he was getting ever more nervous as he continued to fail to lose him at all in the corners.
'Two.'
Ryosuke accelerated perfectly, the FC responding to his shifting in the exact way he wanted it to. Ryosuke was shattering Takumi's confidence while making it look easy. Takumi's 86 whipped out of the turn in the same rhythm as Ryosuke, but he knew how badly he was losing.
Takumi's eyes kept darting back and forth from his rearview to Akina's downhill.
'I can't lose him no matter what I do. Am I gonna lose this!? I don't want to, but he's been on top of me since the race started. I don't want to lose to him, but he's been beating me nonstop!''
During the long straights approaching the midpoint of Akina's downhill, the story was the same. Since the 86 couldn't lose the FC at all during the corners, its performance on the straightaways was even worse as Ryosuke held 60 horses worth of advantage.
Ryosuke's rev tachometer climbed upward, making it flick backward as he shifted to a higher gear.
Using the long straightaway to calmly change gears and think, Ryosuke's white FC accelerated downhill directly on the 86' tail.
'Both BT-1 and 2 aren't letting me down. And neither is the gearbox or tires. Meaning if I maintain this exact pace until the third checkpoint, I can win this.'
Takumi pressed the gas, but he couldn't lose Ryosuke during the straights at all. The area just behind the 86' rear bumper continued to be occupied by the FC, the same as it had during the entire race.
During the slight right turn interrupting the two long straightaways beginning Akina's third section of the downhill, Takumi quickly cleared the turn as fast as he could, but the white FC's headlights remained in his rearview.
Now Takumi began to feel his head being pulled in every direction at once, the pressure starting to become so great he could barely focus much less drive at his full capacity.
Using the full potential of his 13B-Ts, Ryosuke pushed the FC so hard that he made the front tires slip with barely a hint of braking or shifting. Takumi's heel and toe movements in his 86 were the best he could muster, but his resulting drift didn't lose the FC at all, made worse by the pressure breaking him.
'Three.'
Ryosuke still remained right on his tail, as the FC and the 86 continued to twin drift at full speed into the next hairpin.
'Four.'
Ryosuke changed gears, continuing to observe Takumi's 86 with the front of his FC still on Takumi's tail as it had been for the entire downhill race.
Understanding grip far better than Takumi could, Ryosuke was calm enough to think on the race while beating Takumi's grip runs easily.
The 86 turning left and right in a desperate and failing attempt to lose Ryosuke, the white FC kept up with Takumi using a portion of Ryosuke's full grip strength from how much more traction and horsepower he had.
'He's gotten so nervous that his braking isn't as fluid as it was before. I know he can regain the will to fight later on in the race, so this overtake mustn't be decisive. The race isn't over yet, far from it.'
His eyes still wide in fear and shock through the nerves Ryosuke's FC were putting him through, Takumi again couldn't lose Ryosuke in the lighter corners requiring more brake and gripping than hard drifting.
After four constant grip runs, an intense right hairpin appeared, requiring the 86 and the FC to again twin drift at high speeds.
'Five.'
Grip turn after grip turn, Ryosuke remained directly on the 86' rear bumper, not losing any speed at all as he matched Takumi's cornering speed again and again, his performance on the downhill not wavering at all.
'Six. Now.' Ryosuke watched as Takumi had passed his breaking point of nerves. 'He's about to over-accelerate now.'
Just as Ryosuke had predicted, Takumi was going too fast in an attempt to lose Ryosuke again, his 86 sliding to the outside of the corner during the sharp but looping right. Not being able to turn properly at the speed he was going at, Takumi failed to corner effectively, and Ryosuke took his chance.
Easily passing the 86, Ryosuke flew past Takumi during the turn from the inside.
"The FC just took the lead!"
Yakuma announced it to the mountain with his walkie. "Ryosuke just passed the 86! At this pace he'll easily beat the previous course record by ten or eleven seconds!"
Ryosuke didn't bother looking into his rearview. 'Now would be the perfect time to pull away completely. But I have to conserve my tires for the three lane hairpin. Checkpoint two is about to arrive, I have to gain a second and a half lead. It's nothing decisive, but it should seriously help my positioning before the three lane corner.'
Takumi panted, gulping as he watched Ryosuke pull ahead on the long straightaways passing the second checkpoint.
He couldn't catch up, Ryosuke's 13B-T was much better suited for higher gear acceleration with far more horsepower. Ryosuke was exactly the opposite of Takumi passing the second checkpoint, calm and collected.
Zooming down the straight with a serious gap between him and the 86 behind him, Ryosuke was as calm as ever having gain a significant lead.
Takumi pressed the 86' accelerator, his 4AG bluetop humming louder as his revs increased. Still, it was pointless, Ryosuke outmatched Takumi completely in the straightaway.
And yet during the corners, Takumi was also unable to gain any distance.
Seeing the sharp left corner approach, Ryosuke braked, his red circular tail lights glowing as the FC backed up and drifted the whole way around the turn. Takumi tried to catch up, but his 86 was unable to close the gap during the hairpin turn.
Screeching out of the turn, Ryosuke opened the FC's throttle from fourth gear to accelerate before the matching L turns. On the right turn, Ryosuke made the FC face the inside, the 86 well behind.
Takumi's eyes widened. 'No way! He's pulling away!?'
On the leftward L hairpin, Ryosuke braked and shifted perfectly, using every ounce of the FC's potential to stay ahead on the corners.
Takumi panted again, holding the 86' steering wheel in thought, seeing the FC disappear out of his vision. 'I have to get closer. I have to get closer. I have to get closer!'
Despite how outmatched he knew he was, Takumi tried catching up.
Braking loudly, the 86 flipped around the hairpin turn. His cornering excellent, Takumi's braking drift cleared the turn as he fluidly entered the right hand turn.
The gap began to narrow turn after turn, by a tiny bit every time the 86 cornered.
Using the sharp left turn to drift the entire way, Takumi's focus returned. His nerves lessened, he began to worry less about catching up and more about clearing the hairpins the best he could.
Cornering better, Takumi braked using a heel and toe movement to clip traction, shifted, and steered hard to the right and lightly to the left to control the drift. As the 86' front tires began to slide, they screeched loudly and Takumi cleared the right hairpin catching up to the white FC ahead of him slowly but surely.
In the first of the five hairpins, Ryosuke made the FC back up, making the car face the inside before the slide. His tires screeching, the FC's four wheel drift shocked the crowd, followed a second afterward by the 86' own drift.
Takumi's 86 screeched through the turn, cornering sharply and quickly.
Just up ahead, Ryosuke's white FC cleared a hairpin in front of a spotter drifting quickly. Regaining control of the car after the drift, Ryosuke disappeared instantly from the crewmember's view downhill.
"Ryosuke just flew past the first of the five hairpins! He's still got a lead over the 86-!"
Takumi's four wheel drift interrupted him loudly, the 86 whipping out of the turn in hot pursuit of Ryosuke.
"The 86 is hot on his tail! He just closed the distance by an entire second!"
Takumi steered hard, trying to close the gap. At his fastest, Takumi slowly regained his confidence.
'He's not slowing down during these turns.' Takumi again cleared another hairpin knowing the gap was closing. 'But I can catch up. I am catching up!'
Then the FC re-entered Takumi's vision.
'I did it.' Takumi was able to see the FC again, and he was now close enough to challenge Ryosuke's lead. 'I caught up.'
As the FC drifted the whole way through the second of Akina's five hairpins, the 86 was still closing the gap Ryosuke had created. Takumi began to close the distance between them entirely, without the knowledge of what Ryosuke was doing.
'I can't lose my front tires with the critical section so close. The race is nearly over. I have to let him catch up now, even if it means he can contest the lead during the three lane turn. You might've caught up regardless, but that's the speed you have Takumi Fujiwara.'
Takumi entered the third hairpin a split second behind Ryosuke, and leaving the turn into the straight before the fourth, he was well within the FC's rearview mirror.
Knowing he caught up without even bothering to look into his rearview, Ryosuke kept up his steady pace, the 86 and the FC were now close enough to touch each other again during the fourth hairpin turn. Leaving the corner, Ryosuke still held back knowing they were neck and neck now.
Passing the third checkpoint, a spotter noticed how close the two began to drift through the turn. "Their cornering is insane! The 86 just caught up to the FC! He's chewing Ryosuke's bumper!" he said into his walkie.
Takumi left the hairpin in thought. 'I've caught up to him somehow, but now I need to pass him.'
During a sharp S-hairpin, Takumi now was able to twin drift with the FC as strongly as they could earlier. His speed was so high that Ryosuke was unable to pull away during the corners, and Takumi remained now as a very present threat.
Ryosuke was sweating, same as Takumi, focused intently on remaining in the lead from the speed Takumi began to pull.
'He did it. He raised his pace to a degree no other driver would've this late. Even though I predicted this through simulating it, it's still incredible to me he could be this fast in reality.'
Takumi saw his opportunity on the next corner, hooking a tire into the gutter to pass Ryosuke from the outside. It would've worked hadn't the FC already been doing the same thing.
'What in the world!?'
Takumi's gaze on the rear of the FC changed as Ryosuke and Takumi left the gutter at almost the same time. The white FC continued to go downhill, Takumi now in Ryosuke's rearview from the speed Takumi returned with.
'I haven't tried the second gutter technique yet. This'll be my first time trying it but I have no choice, I don't know how else I'm gonna be able to pass him!'
Approaching the corner, Takumi entered the gutter with his front right tire first, and then his rear one. The move also would've caught Ryosuke by surprise and passed him as well, but again he was already doing the same.
'Then that's it.' thought Takumi. 'I've lost.'
Takumi's thoughts changed seeing how he still kept up with him during the sharp right corner, again the 86 and FC twin drifting at the same speed. 'No. It's not over yet, I have to win! I can win this! I closed that gap, and I know I can win this!'
Ryosuke changed gears entering the straight before the next left hairpin. 'All four tires are still completely responsive. No other system in the FC has overheated either. Even with that, his pace and stamina are incredible. The fact that he's been able to keep up with me until now is a testament to his driving ability. Only two more corners and we'll be able to finish this race!'
During the next hairpin, Ryosuke proved this to be true to himself. The front tires didn't wobble at all or lose pressure when he cornered during the leftward L turn. Takumi however, was still on Ryosuke's tail, the 86 drifting right next to him.
As the 86 left the turn, the FC left first, followed instantly by the 86. The headlights of both cars glowed, their engines humming as they flew at full speed downhill.
III
"They must be getting close." Takeshi said to Shingo, both their cars parked on the decisive corner Ryosuke and both of them had predicted. "At this point in the race they have to be on top of one another."
Ryosuke and Takumi twin drifted again at full speed.
Ryosuke gripped the steering wheel. 'I've calculated correctly so far. No more holding back now. It's all out to the finish line!'
Screeching out of the left turn, the Panda Trueno 86 followed the FC right on its tail, zooming loudly together down the straight. During the next right corner, Takumi's 86 was drifting right next to the FC. Still holding the lead Ryosuke and Takumi twin drifted together once more.
Surprised but keeping his cool, Ryosuke ignored how fast Takumi began to corner during the right hairpin, keeping up with his top speed.
Appearing at the top of the long three lane straight, Shingo saw Ryosuke in the lead. The headlights of the FC and 86 glowed, their engines announcing their presence to both racers watching.
"Okay!" said Shingo. "The FC is in front!"
"How will the 86 attack!? Inside!? Outside!?" Takeshi asked.
Takumi took the outside line, being given three entire lanes to attack Ryosuke from.
Shingo and Takeshi watched in awe of their cornering speed.
Sweat having long since appeared on both their faces, both downhillers braced themselves for how fast they both knew the turn was about to be. Takumi moved to the right of the FC, being able to stand directly on Ryosuke's right before the corner arrived.
"He's still taking the outside!? That's impossible, you can't pass from the shorter angle!" said Takeshi.
The straight was so long that both the 86 and the FC were using it side by side, neck and neck, Ryosuke on the left with Takumi to his right.
The FC cornered the exact same time as the 86, both Takumi and Ryosuke braked, the rears of both cars backing up simultaneously.
Shifting at nearly the same time, both cars entered the turn together.
Ryosuke began to pull ahead, his front tires squealing into the turn as they entered the critical corner, drifting at full speed again. The FC slowly but surely began to pass the 86.
Shingo nodded. "Takahashi's passing!"
The turn must've only been a few seconds or so, but the moment seemed to last forever to Ryosuke and Takumi. The long looping turn gave plenty of time for a pass.
Takumi's 86 still angled from the outside, drifting at the same speed as Ryosuke. The FC still held the inside, and continued to pull ahead. Yet the 86 was turning so fast he wasn't lost completely.
Takumi and Ryosuke could think only of the turn, having been in the zone for the duration of the corner. Their eyes were so attached to the road and their focus so clear staying ahead for the turn was all they could think of.
To both Takeshi and Shingo, the turn almost seemed to repeat itself as both the FC and 86 cornered together.
As their drift through the hairpin continued, the FC didn't lose grip or fishtail. Ryosuke remained in complete control of the car at all times, and yet, Takumi's cornering speed was so great it appeared he was on the verge of passing him even as Ryosuke seemed to pull ahead by millimeters. The 86' corner was so fast that unless Shingo and Takeshi had been watching the entire time, both it and the FC would've flown past in a split second.
Tearing asphalt, their tires screeching, the FC continued to corner, slowly but surely continuing to pass Takumi through the three lane corner. Takumi's 86 still held fast, but as Ryosuke's white FC didn't fishtail at all or lose speed, he continued to pull ahead.
His eyes widening, Ryosuke watched as the FC almost seemed to pass the 86 through tree sap despite their cornering speed. Neither car was losing any speed in the turn at all but the FC only was able to pass Takumi from holding the inside.
Shingo and Takeshi, Ryosuke and Takumi, said nothing when the FC passed the 86 completely, and the critical turn ended.
The white FC went downhill first onto the straight following Akina's critical section, the 86 behind it.
III
Daito Ryoma was leaning on his green FD, holding the walkie he knew everyone on Akina was waiting to hear from.
Chatter was filling the air around the finish line for Akina's downhill.
Mako was within the crowds of girls who were fans for the Takahashi brothers.
"They should be coming soon." A Speed Star said before headlights appeared at the top of the mountain.
Ryosuke's white FC appeared first out of the very last corner, Takumi's 86 behind him. The crowd at the finish line gasped, everyone there reacting loudly in surprise at who won.
"Woww!" one of Keisuke's fangirls said. "I can't believe Ryosuke won!"
"That's Ryosuke!" gasped Mako. "Ryosuke won!"
"This is the finish line!" Daito said excitedly.
Sayuki laughed, screeching at the top of her lungs as Daito winced in pain from how loud the girl next to him cheered. "He wooon!"
"Daito!" Keisuke said on the walkie. "Who is it!? Who won?"
"It's Ryosuke! Ryosuke just beat Akina's downhill record by eleven and a half seconds! He just set the best course record in Gunma's history! We won Keisuke!" Daito Ryoma was yelling at the top of his lungs into the walkie. "We won! Eleven and a half-"
Sayuki jumped onto Daito, so excited that she kissed him strongly on the cheek. "You guys did it! You did it!"
"Um…" Daito said. "Who are you?"
Mako watched Ryosuke pass the finish line quietly.
'He...won?'
III
Keisuke couldn't hear anything. He was so in shock that he couldn't react at all to what he had heard.
The Akagi Red Suns needed a second before reacting.
Very unlike his mentor, Kenta was crying and shouting. "He did it! We won! Banzaii!" he shouted, leaping into Aisuke's arms.
Keisuke was shaking in fear of his own thoughts. The same car that had shook him to his very core had just lost.
'My brother...won!? He beat that 86 that was so fast it looked like he blazed downhill out of hell itself!? Why does it feel like I'm dreaming?'
Crying, Kenta and the Red Suns were ecstatic, the professional street racers hugging each other and cheering.
Takihiro was laughing with Aisuke, lifting his teammate into the air as they all cheered.
While Itsuki sobbed his eyes out, Iketani covered his face a bit. "I'm just glad Takumi's safe man."
"Tell me about it." Kenji kicked a nearby rock away.
While the Speed Stars looked like their world had just ended, the Red Suns were beside themselves.
"We did iiit!" cheered Kenta.
Keisuke was still in a shock so great he still couldn't react.
Daito was cheering louder than anyone else at the finish line, laughing. Ryosuke's victory had moved him past his selective mutism for the time being.
The rest of the Red Suns cheered and laughed in unison, chanting together. "He did it! He did it! He did it!"
Itsuki was crying so much that the rest of the Speed Stars shared a similar sad sentiment. They felt even worse than when the Red Suns humiliated them on their own mountain, now the best downhiller Akina had ever known was defeated on his own mountain pass.
Keisuke, still in shock, couldn't react when Kenta practically jumped on him to hug him. "We did it Keisuke! Keisuke, we did iiit!"
Keisuke's walkie clattered to the asphalt of Akina's peak, finally reacting. He hugged Kenta as tightly as he could, surprising everyone there, especially Kenta.
Kenta spoke surprised. "Keisuke? You're-"
Keisuke shoved Kenta away quickly. "There. I don't want you to mention it again."
The rest of the Red Suns kept cheering loudly together. To them, they never wanted the night to end.
Laughing, Kenta cheered again. "We wooooon!"
Keisuke picked up the walkie again, speaking again. "Daito! How'd Ryosuke look coming past the finish line?"
"He's fine man! Everything's fine! Ryosuke took the win! I can hardly believe it myself, but the White Comet is back and better than ever! We're back Keisuke! We're back!"
III
Pulled over with the safety lights turned on, both Takumi and I had gotten out of our cars on the side of the road.
"Ryosuke I." Takumi gulped. "Why did you want to speak to me tonight?"
"Because I have to tell you the truth about why I asked you to join street racing. I want you to join the Akagi Red Suns. You're an incredible driver Takumi. It would be a great honor."
Takumi looked back at his 86 in thought. When he looked back at me he spoke. "I can't."
I was surprised by this. "You would be more than compensated for your time. You'd never have to spend anything on tires or gas ever again."
"I'm sorry Ryosuke. But losing to you tonight taught me how little I know about racing. If I'm gonna learn all this stuff, I should learn it on my own. I honestly don't know what I even want from racing, or even if I enjoy it or not. All I know is if I'm gonna drive better and better someday, I have to learn it all on my own."
I smiled. "It's disappointing to have you reject my offer."
I opened the driver's side door to my FC.
"Ryosuke wait I- Thank you for the race tonight. But I do have a question for you."
"What is it?"
"Before I couldn't pass you on the three lane turn. You knew how to do both gutter moves. I already did the first in front of loads of people, I guess that makes sense for you. But the second? My own dad never even taught me that. How were you able to do that?"
I explained. "You had a very limited amount of time to pass me before the critical section. I calculated everything you would do prior to that, it was imperative I was prepared for anything and everything."
"I mean, if you know so much about driving that you can learn something before even I can on my own mountain. Then, why do you even need my help?"
I sighed. "You wouldn't believe me."
"You just beat me, on Akina. I think I can believe it."
"Takumi, you and your car are very dear to me in a sentimental way. I want drivers like you, with real talent, who drive here locally in Gunma. To be the greatest in the entire world. The Akagi Red Suns need you."
"I mean, after tonight. You guys made it clear you don't need my help. Everyone and their grandmother told me how you guys are faster than everyone else, and until tonight, I didn't believe them. I mean, you're even faster than everyone. Especially me, better than me."
I smiled getting into my FC. Before I left, I rolled the window down. "Takumi Fujiwara. You are very fast."
The 13B-Ts revved. I pulled away in the FC uphill from our small conversation on one of Maebashi's streets.
As I drove off, I knew Takumi stared off after me.
He probably had no idea who I still was. He probably had no idea what our race meant to me, and what my victory meant to me.
I had finally defeated Takumi Fujiwara and his 86. Gunma was mine, Gunma belonged to me, Akagi's White Comet and the Akagi Red Suns.
This was probably the happiest night of my entire life.
This would be the first night marking the beginning of our reign as the fastest in Kanto. I had succeeded, the dream I told Keisuke on Akina's peak in canon was now going to become a reality. And it would start tonight.
What Takumi had stopped at the start of the series, the undisputed reign of the Akagi Red Suns as the fastest in Gunma, hadn't been stopped. My dream in canon was my dream now, and it had already began to happen.
III
I stood at Akagi's peak, looking out over the city skylines of Gunma's nighttime.
Hearing Keisuke approach, I turned to see the yellow FD park next to me.
When I saw my brother approach, I began to speak. "Keisuke, I'm-"
He interrupted by hugging me.
"You won." he whispered. "You won. I almost can't believe it. But you won."
I cleared my throat. "Yes I did."
Keisuke pulled away from our hug. "I knew you would be here. The whole team's been looking for you. Your girlfriend's been looking for you. Big brother, the entire prefecture's been looking for you. You just had the greatest title defense in racing history, and not only that but you won the hell out of it!"
"Keisuke-"
"I'm so happy brother." I could tell Keisuke was getting emotional. But he was so tough that it was still hard for him. "I'm. This is the happiest moment of my entire life."
"Mine too."
"I knew you could do it. I never doubted you. I just, I don't know how to feel. I'm so happy and grateful but. I was so afraid of the 86 for so long that." Keisuke smiled. "You finally put my fears to rest that the 86 could stop our hopes of becoming the fastest in Kanto."
I smiled back. "You're very welcome Keisuke."
"So what now?"
"Now comes the hard part. I have to start doing research on expeditions to other prefectures. I have to coordinate the hardest races the Red Suns will have. Tochigi alone is going to be a significant challenge, and it's the first one on my list the weakest prefecture by far and yet very strong still."
Keisuke spoke. "That can all come later. The whole team is waiting for you at this bar downtown."
I sighed. "I need a moment to speak honestly with you Keisuke. It's time we discussed something important."
"Yes?"
"I won."
Keisuke nodded. "I know. But the team is still waiting for you."
"Let them wait." I drew a carton of cigarettes. "Beating the 86 tonight showed me how important it is I remain as the lone wolf, Akagi's White Comet, only mentally, to lead the Red Suns to legend. It's taken me a long time to truly consider what drove me to become a street racer, but until last year it wasn't clear to me. Now it still is."
I flicked on my cigarette. "Keisuke. You and I are going to become the best street racers of all time, perhaps the best drivers ever in the history of Japan's motorsports. The rotary engine will become known as the fastest engine made for the public roads in the world by the end of this journey and it all begins today. Little brother, will you join me on this endeavor? Now and always?"
"What kinda question is that!?" asked Keisuke instantly. "Of course I'm with you!"
"Now and always?"
Keisuke kept yelling. "I'll die before I leave your side on the Red Suns! I'll die before I give up! We just became the best in Gunma, undisputed, for probably the next decade! We're just getting started."
"Then allow me to explain to you what my long-term goal is. And what we'll achieve by bringing the Red Suns to become the fastest in Kanto. If we continue this professional level of driving well into Tochigi, Kanagawa, and Chiba. And every prefecture in the Kanto region. Street racing can become viewed in a new light. Someday, maybe not next year, maybe not for decades. But someday, street racing and the taboo placed on it might become a thing of the past."
"So what do you mean? Street racing may, change?"
"Maybe not entirely. But it'll become easier to create larger bodies with stronger and more official structures than simply a team like the Akagi Red Suns. For now it doesn't matter, my point is that you and I will become even more famous than we are now. The true purpose of the Akagi Red Suns is about to become revealed, which is why I want to call them all here."
"But they're still at the bar."
With just a look, I made it clear to Keisuke how serious about this I was.
III
Fumihiro closed the passenger side door to Takihiro's S13. "What's this about Ryosuke?"
I put out my cigarette seeing the Red Suns approach in a large group.
Kenta was most confused. "You just came off your biggest win yet! What's going on?"
"Yeah why not celebrate?" asked Aisuke.
"I was planning on telling you all this later. But I couldn't just go out drinking with you all tonight when I had something this important to tell you. But my objective was to recruit Takumi Fujiwara to the Red Suns by beating him tonight."
Kenta gasped. "What?"
"Unfortunately, he walked away from what I consider to be the opportunity of a lifetime. Meaning I have to speak to you all about why I personally handpicked each and every one of you to represent Akagi in Gunma's street racing scene." I said. "I've talked about this previously to Fumihiro and Keisuke. And it's high time you all know as well."
The Red Suns continued listening. "I call it the Fastest in Kanto project. We've just become the fastest in Gunma, now officially after tonight's victory at Akina. Now we've proven these claims people have made about us to be factual now. We have nothing left to accomplish here in Gunma. There isn't a pass without our records on them."
I continued speaking. "Keisuke will battle the Speed Stars' uphiller next weekend but it will just be a formality. Tochigi will be our first prefecture, as we will gradually increase the difficulty of the drivers by climbing upwards slowly. And Tochigi alone will present a significant challenge."
"I mean, we don't even know who's racing there yet." Takihiro shrugged as the team murmured in agreement with him.
"But I will make sure we do." I said. "Word of tonight's race will spread across Kanto. Even though I took Akina's course record, every street racer in Kanto will know what's coming along with the name of the Akagi Red Suns the moment we make our first expedition to Tochigi. They will be prepared. And we will set course records, unbeatable ones, on every mountain in Kanto. The name of the Red Suns will become legendary."
Aisuke chuckled. "When you said you wanted the Suns to be the most ambitious racing project in history you weren't kidding."
"I wasn't." I nodded to one of our best downhillers. "You all haven't disappointed me. Least of all Keisuke and Kenta. With the 86 out of the way and out of sight, nothing can stop us now from leaving Gunma behind us. I'll begin researching our next target tomorrow morning, and then training will begin. Now, are you all ready?"
The team spoke loudly along the lines of "Yes!" and "Understood!"
"You can all go home for tonight. We've had enough racing for one night." I said.
I knew I needed to act very very quickly. Kyoichi Sudo had probably achieved the same thing I just did by establishing himself unanimously as the best in his own prefecture. If I didn't take the Red Suns to Tochigi quite soon, Sudo would do the same thing by taking team Emperor to Gunma the same as he did in the short months following the end of canon's First Stage.
I had two entire months before Sudo began to sweep Gunma. Racing him on Irohazaka might be a challenge so great it might make the 86 race look much smaller by comparison.
Racing on Emperor's home course would give them an incredible advantage, and racing on Akagi letting them come to us was also heavily favorable to us. In fact, these advantages might be so great that they could decide these races.
No matter what, I had a month at most before needing to finish all the preparations needed to go to Tochigi. For now I had done it.
I had beaten everyone in Gunma. The Night Kids, the Speed Stars, and as of an hour and twenty minutes ago, Takumi Fujiwara. Now came Tochigi, and then all of Kanto.
It was almost midnight on September 15th, 1996. The name of the Akagi Red Suns was now a name to be remembered after tonight, but it was yet to become legendary in the pages of racing history.
With Takumi's rejection of my offer, the hope I had in canon of making the Red Suns the fastest racing team in the history of mountain racing would now become a very achievable, albeit still incredibly difficult goal. My "fastest in Kanto project" explained to Keisuke in the first episode of the series was now my only priority, after defeating the 86, it was now beginning to happen.
III
Author's Note:
I think it's high time I discussed something important with you all. My Turn has been the story I've easily had the most fun writing for some time now. It's replaced another story of mine as my passion project.
I've been writing fanfics for some time, and while I have received a lot of scathing vitriol and despise from some of them, I've yet to see so much praise and thoughtfulness placed into the reviews of My Turn anywhere else.
People are appreciating every ounce of thought, detail, and passion I have with reviews I don't often see as appreciative as they are. Instead of being slapped across the face in spite like I have in other fandoms, the Initial D fandom, all of you have glowingly appreciated what I've done here.
This project wouldn't be possible with all of you, you guys heavily motivate me to finish this work.
Not just the reviewers who've made it clear they've seen the series, but to those who haven't as well. The best part of this fanfic to me is that by writing it I'm getting people to get into an incredible anime to appreciate this story even more.
So thank you thank you thank you all.
For now what I need to address as well.
I started this fanfic as just being a simple Ryosuke-Insert but with in my opinion a really underrated ship, Ryosuke/Mako. The romance will not be in the story now, but rest assured this is the endgame ship for this fanfic. This will be because rewatching the series, the fanfic will now portray the story that would've happened, basically an AU if Ryosuke beat the 86 and was able to make the Red Suns the fastest in Kanto like he wanted.
I made this M-rated because this was supposed to be the Initial D version of RWBY's the Name of the Game, written by literalsin. Meaning there were probably going to be very mature and explicit love scenes between Ryosuke and Mako and maybe maybe Sayuki at some point.
Considering how everyone's reacted to the story until this point, I've since reconsidered. In fact, I'm going to have to start developing characters by maybe not having romance at all or not as much as it was before.
I mean reviews of this fanfic are comparing this to a professionally written novel of Initial D. Just, wow thank you insane88. It still blows my mind. This only makes me want to write the story even better.
Meaning I've written superior grammar and spelling to people who have edited and written things for a living and for several years too. Also considering the reactions, everything else that's important like the characters, plot, and drama/stakes must be well written as well if I want this story to succeed.
KyonSmith, someone who I must thank a lot for wanting this fanfic to be the best it can, has labeled the romance to be "inexplicable."
He said this truthfully, and I believe him, I'm going to have to either tone the romance down, or perhaps remove it entirely. I will go with the latter option now. This is going to be really difficult, because I need to do it in a way that feels natural and earned without making it random, rushed and forced.
I mean KyonSmith cared so much about the quality of this story he apparently sat through 15-20 chapters of filler just to put me back on the right track.
These filler chapters won't happen again. Every chapter from here on out will be as good if not better than the original 10 chapters, focusing exclusively on Ryosuke and the Red Suns. I will try to bring back exactly what made those chapters to KyonSmith click click again.
Meaning My Turn will be the highest quality story I can possibly write it to be. And I thank you all for supporting me.
And if you haven't already, ahem:
WATCH INITIAL D!
Sorry but if you enjoy this fanfic and haven't seen the anime already you must.
There are skippable episodes, actually there are many.
I initially joked in a meme I made I think 7 or 6 years ago about how Initial D would be much better if it was just the Takahashi brothers and I don't think I'm wrong. I honestly want to see a cut version of Initial D where it's just Ryosuke and Keisuke so badly I might just make it myself.
I've had an editing software for some time now, I would just need to go episode by episode, season by season and just include scenes with the Rotary Brothers in them. In actuality, I might actually make those videos, because, and I will stand by this no matter how many times I say it, Ryosuke and Keisuke are far more compelling and better-written protagonists than Takumi.
Watching the series again, I still root for Ryosuke to win his race, every time.
So until the next chapter, thank you all for reading.