III

58: Braking Battle

III

At the peak of Mount Akagi, I was waiting quietly for the team to arrive.

I was smoking, I hadn't enjoyed a cigarette for a long time. I hadn't gotten dressed like or tried emulating the look and demeanor of the White Comet for a long time. Considering this would be one of the last times I would ever have the chance to do so before the team disbanded, I took advantage of it.

The team approached, and from the looks in their eyes, they knew this was different. That I was different.

Akagi's White Comet was always their leader, but from how they were looking at me, tonight he was staring right back at them to inspire and lead them.

The last to arrive was Kenta in his S14, and I was finishing my cigarette by that point.

I put it out under his shoe and spoke. "Gentlemen. This is it. The prefecture we'll be remembered for. Right here on this pass, nearly three years ago, we created this team in hopes of becoming the greatest street racers of all time. And to me, we've succeeded."

"To even make it this far is an accomplishment on its own." I added. "But we have one last test to cement our victory in stone. Kanagawa. All of you have come a long way since I chose you to create the Red Suns. The Akagi Red Suns will go no further than Kanagawa, and our course records will be a legacy to last for decades, even centuries after our death. As the men who sought only to bring legend, and achieved more than glory."

"I saw hundreds of people at the peak of Mount Akina, all of them silent when I challenged the 86. That was at the beginning of our journey, from when we had to establish ourselves as the best in our own prefecture. Now, the Kanto region will know the Red Suns were the greatest to ever drive these roads. Our name is more than just a team. Like I said, it's a legacy."

I smiled lightly. "I know you must all have mixed feelings over these being your last battles. I want you to drive with this in mind. I want you to know you will never be a part of a team like ours ever again in your lives. And that the race I have assigned to you will be your final contribution to our team. To our legend."

III

Eiji Kubo, a tall and kind looking man, was speaking at the peak of a large mountain in Kanagawa.

Thirty men, and one teenage boy were all listening to him.

"You have all heard of the great challenge that is approaching. The Akagi Red Suns have set course records everywhere but here. Our only option to ensure we can beat them is to set up four layers of defense, each gathering more information than the previous one." Eiji said.

"Each team must gather as much data as possible on the technical and skill level of all cars and drivers. The man in charge of this team, Ryosuke Takahashi, will not let us do this. He has more than two drivers on the team, and will try to reveal as little as he can until he has broken through all four layers." said Eiji. "Go?"

A second in command, a young man with long hair spoke. "We've determined they will be using their lower skilled drivers first against us as they will know we will do the same. Then have their best race at the very end. It's crucial you all take no chances in trying to measure your opponents while driving. It's the job of the crew and staff members to do just that, so don't take any chances. You must defeat your opponents as quickly and effectively as you can."

"Gunma tried putting up a defense against this team and failed. So did Tochigi, Saitama, and now, Ibaraki. But they were made of different stuff than us. This is Kanagawa." said Eiji, liking the confidence that settled in the stoney and calm looks of all the Kanagawa drivers there. "This is one of the driest and most moderate summers in years. There will be nothing in your paths in terms of special driving conditions to hamper you. You all know your tasks, again, take no chances in your races."

"That is all. Kanagawa cannot lose. These Gunma racers haven't ever seen anything like our drivers." Eiji added.

III

On a windy and steep hill in central Kanagawa, many men gathered at the peak of a mountain which contained signs labeled "Yabitsu Pass."

"Quite the speech eh?" a curly haired young man asked a fellow Kanagawa driver.

He chuckled. "Team 246 hasn't ruled this pass for nearly a decade just to fail now," the dark haired and lightly bearded man said.

Another driver walked up to him passing him a piece of paper. "Everyone voted, we were unanimous in both the hill climb and the downhill. You and Kobayakawa have been selected."

Kobayakawa looked over the paper. "You guys must really take them seriously if you're putting us up."

"You must've not been paying attention during Kubo's speech Hiko." This surprised Kobayakawa since it didn't look like anyone used his given name regularly. "For them to have a skill level high enough for the entire prefecture to put aside our differences and ally, the Red Suns must be a serious challenge. I'll start getting ready. It's not every day you see all of Kanagawa forget years of enmity to stand together. How much time do I have?" he asked.

"Not that much time. They finished Ibaraki last week, so you only have until this Friday." the other 246 driver said.

"Then I better get started," he said walking towards his car.

"Er. Satoshi." Kobayakawa said.

"I didn't mean anything when I used your given name. Please." he said.

Kobayakawa nodded. "Omiya. I'll do my very best. I hope you can do the same."

"Don't worry. The Red Suns won't last the first round with us."

Satoshi Omiya took out the keys to his car. A light orange Mazda Roadster RS NB8C with a carbon fiber rear wing.

'With a car this well tuned and naturally well made, I can't lose. To anyone, not even these Red Suns.'

Kobayakawa got into his car as well, a bright yellow Lancer Evolution VII CT9A, and both drivers began to practice.

III

I heard a knock on the doors on the third support van we had taken with us to Kanagawa.

"Ryosuke? Are you still asleep? We're here."

I opened my eyes and rubbed my left one. Even with less time with sim work, I was buried in work for med school as well as going on dates with Mako.

I slid the door open to the HiAce van and exited as multiple mechanics were inspecting every inch of the two cars we had brought with us.

Aisuke white 180SX and Daito's green FD3S. Both looked ready for battle, we only had to do the first few checks before having them take their practice runs and then adjusting what we needed.

I was approached by the two leaders of Team 246, both very respectable and high level drivers.

Satoshi Omiya was a LV 90 Downhiller and Hiko Kobayakawa was a LV 90 Uphiller. While both Aisuke and Daito outleveled them by only one level each, this would be offset by the course knowledge these two had of Yabitsu.

With the slight tuning advantage both the FD and 180 had, the battles would be purely based on driving ability.

"You must be the Red Suns." Satoshi extended a hand. "This is my co-captain for the team, Kobayakawa."

"And you must be Team 246. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said.

"How long do you all need to do preliminary work?" asked Satoshi. "We can schedule the races for tomorrow if you like."

I shook my head. "Our crew can get it all done in about an hour and a half. Our practice runs should be done by 10:30. By then, we'll be ready to race."

"Excellent. I look forward to it."

I walked back towards Daito and Aisuke checking my watch. We only had three hours as much course knowledge into their minds as possible and the cars as tuned properly to the hill as we could.

It was barely enough, but according to my data, would guarantee us the victories we need tonight.

"You two are going to win this." I said looking back towards the NB8C and CT9A. "Your cars are a bit better and you guys are certainly more skilled. They're amazing drivers, you'll see, but you both are better. We can end both races in the first run, and will tune your cars as such."

"How are our cars better? They're both older." Aisuke said.

"For the downhill, the main advantage we have is speed during corner exits and most of all the straightaways. Because of the way the 180's suspension was initially designed, you should have no trouble pushing it as hard as you can to get the best cornering speed. We also have a power advantage for the uphill."

I looked towards Daito. "We have more grip, more stability, more power, and better drivers. It won't be easy, in fact it'll be very difficult, but you'll do it. Daito, you've been scoring championships in the Gymkhana for years, and Aisuke, you've been test driving for Nismo for so long that your 180 is practically another limb to you. Take pride in your races tonight you two. Stay focused, drive like you normally do, and you should have no trouble."

They both looked at each other in surprise. "Are you serious?" asked Aisuke. "This is Kanagawa right? Where rally specialists and professional circuit racers come to show off their toys in street races? How can you say our victory will be that easy?"

"Well it's been clear we can handle just about anything ever since we won out over the Purple Shadow. You two just really understand your cars, and can drive extremely well. Just stay focused, there's not much I can say to improve your times out there tonight."

One run up or down Yabitsu and I'd have a full read out of the entire course, and through my simulator, the best lines. All that was left was to tune the FD and 180 accordingly and they'd reach it. With the cars at such a high level of performance and both of them so skilled, Daito and Aisuke didn't have a chance of losing this.

However, the tricky part was them actually learning the course.

These lines would be very hard for most other drivers to learn, but Daito and Aisuke had done nothing but train since winter began last year.

III

On their runs up and down Yabitsu's hill, drivers from Team 246 were timing the practice runs and tuning set up tests for the FD and 180.

The 13B-REW's twin rotaries were whirring loudly, a stopwatch beeping quietly as they passed.

The 246 driver raised his walkie. "They haven't even set up their cars yet or gotten accustomed to the course and their pace is really strong. We're gonna have a problem here."

The crew member at the next checkpoint reported the same.

Daito knew that this might be one of the last times his FD would be seen racing for the Akagi Red Suns and was throttling very hard even for a settings test.

Aisuke was farther up the hill taking lines through corners.

The 180 was tearing asphalt, its engine ripping hard as the crowd was surprised by how much power and speed a simple Type X could reach.

Aisuke took a very fast powerslide through a turn, whipping the 180 around the turn before accelerating through a tight left and right S hairpin chicane using only grip racing.

III

246 was shocked by how quickly we were able to tune the FD and 180 for the settings necessary to race at full throttle.

With the Gamer, mechanics and how to maximize cornering and straightaway speed with it were like second nature.

The course was prepped, and I calmly gave the go ahead for Daito to get into position to lead the uphill.

III

Kobayakawa was speaking to Satoshi leaning on his Evo VII. "They found the right tuning setup and figured out the course well enough to be race ready in about an hour and a half. Think we're in over our heads here?"

"I'm sure they're just overconfident. We know the course better and have more professional experience."

"But I hear this guy's a big Gymkhana Circuit champ. Even with what I've got you've got to admit we might be even out there." said Kobayakawa.

Satoshi sighed. "There's no need for a strategy up there. When the hill's at its steepest you'll have a grip advantage, there's nothing the FD can do to stop you from passing. Just drive."

Kobayakawa watched as Daito approached.

Satoshi quietly left as Daito offered a hand to shake to Kobayakawa. "You must be Daito Ryoma. I hear they call you the Silent Assassin. The Green Ninja. In a childish sense of course, I hope you take no offense."

Daito nodded slightly, and said absolutely nothing.

From the look Daito gave him, Kobayakawa hid his fear. 'This guy is goddamn serious. Don't get psyched out Hiko. Remember, this is your hill.'

III

I leaned over and spoke to Daito as he was sitting in the driver's seat of the FD. "You really shook them up with those practice runs. They must have their heads spinning wondering what kind of speeds we'll reach with the proper race settings."

"Was that your intention? Because it really was a bluff, their speeds aren't that different in the corners or in the stretch really." Daito said in his quiet voice. "Otherwise Kanagawa wouldn't have their first line be this weak right?"

I failed to not smile a little. "That was a large part of it. But the truth is we are faster still. There's not much advice I can give you, but of our teams have good reason to be confident tonight. It may happen a lot, but this is all you Daito. You know what to do."

Daito nodded. "Um. Ryosuke."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything." Daito said. "I didn't want to interrupt anything that night because I knew he was with his girlfriend. But Keisuke has inspired me to stay in Kanto and help him reach the K2 and succeed with how well he drove against Purple Shadow."

My eyes widened. "What?" I asked.

"Again Ryosuke. I'll make you proud tonight." he raised a fist. "For Akagi. For the Red Suns. For Gunma."

I clasped Daito's fist, in a rare show of emotion Daito rarely displayed. "For the Akagi Red Suns." I repeated. "For Gunma."

"Okay the course is clear! Get ready!" Fumihiro called out.

"Do me a favor." said Daito. "Let me tell him alright?"

I nodded.

Daito was going to dust Kobayakawa, it was just going to be a while before the pace difference was apparent. The FD hit its stride when the straightaways were at their longest, Daito wouldn't really put the pedal to the metal until it was clear the Evo was corners from making its move.

With hypersofts and all longevity replaced with power.

III

"Five!" said Fumihiro. "Four! Three!"

The yellow CT9A's 4G63T roared, heavily outclassed in the power and sound of its revs by Daito's 13B-REW.

"Two! One! Go!"

Daito shot off the line into first gear pushing hard on Yabitsu's first uphill straightaway.

Even with the traction advantage with AWD Kobayakawa was already struggling to keep up right off the line. In the straight, Daito's 200 horses of advantage let him keep the gap.

However, in the corner entry, Kobayakawa held an advantage having more grip with all four tires and was able to hold a stronger line. The yellow Evo VII was able to close the gap a bit on the entry.

After braking, Daito waited right before the apex of the turn as he pressed the gas down.

His shifting and throttle control was so strong the green FD had much better exit speed than the CT9A and the gap widened once more.

Daito could hear the pistons of Kobayakawa's engine pound and its turbocharger whistle, as if it was directly next to his ear, as the straightaway became much steeper and the CT9A grew much closer.

Daito was so calm under pressure Kobayakawa's Evo might as well been pushing him off the mountain. He stayed completely focused, and pushed the FD harder, only keeping his mind on his driving.

The FD was soaring up Yabitsu's hill, the green RX-7 and its rotaries were hissing loudly as Daito throttled.

Entering another turn, the FD had so much grip that Daito simply needed to take his foot off the gas, wait until he could steer to get close enough to the apex of the corner to accelerate, and then tapped the gas twice before holding it down strongly.

Kobayakawa was sweating as Daito was completely calm. 'Damn he's got some pace. I heavily overestimated my AWD. The car is insanely powerful, but the driver is just.'

Daito continued to keep his foot completely on the gas, throttling at full speed from third gear calmly. 'A monster.'

"The Red Suns' FD has some insane speed! This is the first checkpoint and Ryoma is a half second ahead of Kobayakawa!"

The crowd cheered as Daito continued to hold his own calmly against Kanagawa's first line of defense. The green FD continued to outpace Kobayakawa's yellow Evo VII.

Kobayakawa grunted, upshifting as Daito again gained better speed with his higher amount of horsepower and line execution. 'Enough playing around. I'm going all out. I don't care if the place to go that hard isn't here yet. I'm not letting this outsider gain another second on me. This is Kanagawa!'

'How much longer can you stay ahead!?'

Daito didn't lose focus at all when the Evo drew closer on the entry of the next corner, a sharp left.

The CT9A's engine hummed louder, and the turbos in both cars whistled as they throttled out of the turn, their rev tachometers crawling upward, until they almost reached the red line.

Daito took his foot off the gas and so did Kobayakawa, the green FD and yellow Evo VIII needing to take a curvy right straightaway slowing down for a moment before holding the throttle pedal down.

As they hit the gas, the FD had better acceleration with a power advantage and Daito's better reflexes and shifting.

Through a set of S hairpins, Daito ignored the pressure Kobayakawa began to place on him, and kept holding his line strongly.

Kobayakawa's eyes widened watching how after several corners, even having the Evo breathing down his neck, Daito's driving hadn't been affected. If anything, the FD's line was stronger even though the gap had closed considerably.

With how well he could brake, steering, shift, and accelerate, Daito's driving sense and instinct was far and beyond what anyone in the crowd was expecting, even from a circuit champ like him driving a car tuned by the renown Red Suns.

His tires screeching as he slowed down for a left turn before accelerating sharply, Daito didn't so much as blink when the Evo almost took a line entering a turn before he moved the green FD to block.

Accounting for this, Daito simply adjust his pace a bit and changed his line on the exit to stay ahead as if the overtake attempt didn't happen.

"Checkpoint two! Daito is really fighting out there! He's on pace to beat the course record by two seconds! But the Evo is really close!"

Daito knew the last set of corners were approaching, and changed his pace.

When the FD was at full power and Daito was truly trying his best, Kobayakawa was shocked.

The FD took such a fast and stable line through a corner, Kobayakawa had no idea it was even there.

'I was going all out. And he wasn't!?'

Daito kept his eyes on the road, getting an exit speed so much higher than Kobayakawa's that he strengthened his lead.

A gap appeared again, and into the next S hairpin, it just widened despite Kobayakawa's best efforts.

Into the next turn, again Daito was going all out, completely flooring the gas, taking a dangerously fast line through a right hairpin.

Even on the entry where it held the advantage, the yellow CT9A was unable to keep up. The green FD stayed ahead completely, and the gap began to widen further on the exit.

The tires on the FD screeched as Daito held a smooth yet strikingly quick line through the next pair of sharp left and right corners.

"This is the third checkpoint, the FD is almost three quarters of a second ahead of Kobayakawa! Unless he loses pace suddenly, the Red Suns are taking this run!"

Up the long straights leading to the final four turns, the gap widened even more. With both cars having full throttle, the Evo was unable to overcome the power difference despite its AWD, and Daito had better skills.

The crowd watched as the green FD now utterly outpaced Kobayakawa as both the RX-7 and Evo VII were going all out.

The first of the final four corners on the uphill were a tight right hairpin followed by a sharp left.

Daito went as wide to the left as he could, tapped the brakes and hugged the inside so close he nearly scratched the mountain wall. He could read the apex of the turn and the best line through it so much better than Kobayakawa that the green FD now widened the gap even more on the entry and the exit of the hairpin.

Daito Ryoma's 13B-REW continued to whir as the crowd roared, and the green FD was flying up the uphill straight. It was clear the Red Suns had beaten the first half of Kanagawa's first line of defense clearly and decisively.

In the tight S hairpin section Daito pulled ahead a bit more with better braking and steering than Kobayakawa. And on the exit, the FD's power advantage again gave it better speed out of the turn at full power.

Daito upshifted with the finish line in sight.

The FD was approaching, and the crowd at the finish line was off its feet. With specially chosen hypersoft tires and a tuning set up Ryosuke specifically chose for a sprint race, Daito had outpaced Kobayakawa and his yellow CT9A as it flew past the finish line at the top of the hill, and over a second later.

III

Daito exited the FD and Takihiro and Kenta crowded him in a hug and cheers.

Fumihiro handed me the stopwatch. Daito's last race had him finish with a 1.26 second lead over a Kanagawa veteran racer. No easy feat.

Many requested to take pictures next to Daito's green FD3S, but Keisuke, in a rare show of restraint, politely asked the fans to leave.

I looked towards Aisuke. He understood why I was so sure Daito would win, and from the look on his face, was sure his last race would go just as well.

III

I leaned over on the 180's driver's side door. "Finish this Kano. You are Nismo as much as Ryoma's Mazdaspeed. The entire mountain knows our speed, remind them how fast we really are."

"How hard should I push?"

I smiled, glancing towards the orange MX-5 starting ahead of Aisuke's white 180. "I'd say as much as you can. The moment he realizes you've kept up with him, he'll break. He may be fast, but the tradeoff is being fast enough to keep up can be gutting unless you're expecting it. The 180 has been tuned and is wearing the tires for an all out sprint just like the FD. Don't try to observe anything Aisuke, you already have a better line than him."

This made Aisuke smile and he rolled his window up.

This technically wasn't true, but Aisuke needed to ignore everything that might be in his head. All he needed to do was drive and he'd win this.

Fumihiro approached me. "We all knew the uphill would be ours because of how much better Ryoma's car and skills were. But I don't know about this Ryosuke. The downhill is always tricky."

"Aisuke's braking is something you won't find outside of someone who understands Nismo and its cars like the back of his hand. On the downhill, braking and steering is crucial, and if there's one thing Aisuke has learned over the years, it's just that. Aisuke is going to win this."

"Better driver. Better car." I muttered. "This is a braking battle. And to brake and corner correctly, particularly on the downhill, you must have an extremely refined instinct on how your car is going to react and what kind of speeds it will maintain. In other words, you must understand your car very well."

"Aisuke has been part of Nismo and this is the very same 180 that launched the Type X model when it first came out. Or rather, years before it was released out of testing and into the open market. That's why Aisuke will win, our opponent might be very skilled, but he couldn't have had more than a year to learn the intricacies of how his car is set up and works." I said.

"And even if he had more time. Aisuke's braking is so dynamic and fluid that it's just better than Omiya's braking." I said. "All that training in the snow and the frustration Aisuke must've felt with how often I changed his braking pattern is about to pay off. We're about to see what it's like when a man truly discovers what his best level of driving appears."

Aisuke was not going to believe how fast his final time would be on this hill. Even what my sims told me surprised me.

III

The 180's SR20DET and MX-5's BP-ZE roared, and it was apparent the SR20DET packed plenty more power and revved much quicker.

Satoshi glanced into his rearview. 'I wasn't expecting Kobayakawa to lose by so much time on the hillclimb. How can they be this fast so early on? This is just the first round against our prefecture.'

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Go!"

Fumihiro threw his hand down and the NB8C began to accelerate downhill. Aisuke followed, and the 180 shot off the line with far better traction and power, keeping up easily.

Down the first straight, the crowd roared, excited by how fast Daito had been able to win on an uphill he had only driven for about an hour.

The orange MX-5 zipped downhill first, the 180 in pursuit, following tightly. With such an advantage in horsepower, Aisuke didn't give Satoshi an inch pushing as hard as he could down the straightaway.

Into the first corner, a tight left hairpin, the small gap widened by almost nothing for a second, but quickly closed when both cars accelerated out of the turn.

The tuning of the 180 was so strong that it had enough grip and horsepower to fly like a bullet out of the turn and down the straightaway.

Aisuke's braking and steering was also so good that even as Satoshi began to increase his pace entering a sharp right corner, the way in which the 180 turned and the precision behind the way Aisuke chose his speed and how he entered the curve meant the gap barely changed.

The crowd again cheered.

Aisuke was beginning to sweat, watching the rear of the MX-5 carefully as they exited the turn. 'My car's tuning and power advantage is obvious. But this guy is really really good though. I didn't expect us to both kick the pace up so high in the first sector.'

Aisuke almost began laughing to himself following the NB8C down the straightaway.

'How could I have forgotten? I'm Myogi's Silver Bullet. Ryosuke's first pick into the Suns. Nismo's pride. This battle will be mine, it has to be.'

Aisuke went wide, steering to the left and taking his foot off the gas to slow down, reaching the apex of the turn in milliseconds before flooring the throttle back down.

The pistons of the SR20DET sang as the white 180 was keeping up with the orange MX-5 easily despite how fast Satoshi was clearing corners.

Aisuke went wide on the next hairpin as well, a tight left, and he was braking earlier but being able to compensate for it with better exit speed having more horsepower.

Both cars flew past the guardrail covering the mountain wall and the inside of the turn in split seconds, zooming loudly.

Aisuke upshifted before Satoshi did and continued to keep his eyes on the rear of the orange MX-5 down the next straight. 'I know Ryosuke told me not to observe but I've got to figure this out in order to win. The entry is a bit different because he doesn't have a turbo in the way to get in the way of rev changes. But my turbo is so finely tuned it's barely there.'

Aisuke squinted slightly as the 180 slowed down after he braked lightly, using four wheel drift to curve as quickly as Aisuke could around the turn using grip strongly to create a hint of slip angle. As the 180 accelerated out of the turn after Aisuke's improvised power slide, he upshifted and thought to himself again.

'That's what's missing. It's key. It's the exact moment before Omiya brakes. He knows just how much grip the road offers to corner at max speed. The only way I can go all out, and hold back nothing is to find it.'

The white 180 cleared a right corner in seconds following the NB8C out of the turn. 'That's it. Stop thinking Aisuke, just watch. You can adjust the braking point on your own, just try to match.'

Through a tight set of hairpins, Aisuke was willing to slow down by a few fractions of a second if it meant getting a better read on the way Satoshi braked and curved the MX-5 around the turns.

In the first turn, a narrow S hairpin section, Aisuke kept his eyes attached to the NB8C's tail lights and tires, trying to determine just where he shifted and began to slide just a bit.

The 180 followed the orange MX-5 quickly, both cars throttling hard, using almost nothing but grip but with drift modified exclusively for speed through the curves. The crowd was loving how smooth the cars were cornering as they cheered, despite how it appeared they were going way too fast for a mountain pass.

"A high tension battle!"

"So fast!"

Aisuke was panting quietly, using as much throttle as he could by holding the gas down tightly, only taking it off for a moment right before the 180 began to corner while braking, letting the car turn and then slamming it back down.

However, even though their speeds were similar, Satoshi was much smoother coming in and out of the turn. His course knowledge put Aisuke at a disadvantage, but the 180 did not begin to lose time.

'He's so goddamned fast.' thought Aisuke. 'But I can copy his line. I can learn enough to bring out the best line Ryosuke mentioned.'

'If he can do it! So can I!'

Satoshi glanced in his rearview again, seeing the 180's headlights ride a quarter of a second in his mirrors.

Thinking of nothing and saying nothing, Satoshi's eyes returned to the road and the battle continued. The jerking motion of the MX-5 and 180 jutting around the turns and slicing across the asphalt at full speed through the corners wowed the crowd, they had very little time to appreciate the technique from how quickly they were clearing the turns.

Aisuke continued to keep his eyes on Satoshi's NB8C, and corner after corner, they braked, they downshifted, steered, and accelerated to upshift again. Aisuke was pushing very hard, completely at full throttle, but he was able to stay close enough to take in everything Satoshi was doing.

The tiny gap began to narrow, in and out of the turns.

"This is the third checkpoint. There's no gap at all!" Takihiro announced proudly as both cars zipped past him very loudly through a right hairpin.

Aisuke was now riding the MX-5's tail, and before they both realized what happened, Aisuke had taken a line on the exit of the next turn peeling out of the exit at full throttle.

With much better grip and power, the 180 had much higher speed on the straightaway, and as both drivers held the gas down completely, mashing it to the floor, the white 180 passed the MX-5 completely.

Aisuke took the lead in a split second and they both cornered again into a sharp right.

As they accelerated towards the finish line, Satoshi was shocked. 'He beat me? He won? I know he was close the whole match, but how was he so much faster?'

The white 180 was flying victoriously through the resulting hairpins, and on the straights especially it was clear how much quicker Aisuke was than the NB8C.

Aisuke Kano took the last few straightaways as fast as he could and the following turns. The white 180 was soaring towards the finish line towards victory.

III

The walkies beeped and Fumihiro listened quietly. "This is the finish line! There was barely a gap but the 180 overtook and won! The Red Suns beat the course record by over three seconds!"

Fumihiro was nearly jaw dropped. "Three seconds? How?"

"Yeah. You told him not to observe anything Ryosuke, but from what the crew was reporting it looked like Aisuke was just watching him the whole time 'till he found a weak point to pass."

I shook my head. "That must've been what it looked like. Yes." I said. "But Aisuke wasn't observing. He was just, how do I put this. He was copying him. His braking sense became so fluid over the years, that it resulted in something like this. At that speed, the only thing Aisuke could do to overtake would be to ingrain Omiya's cornering into his own driving. To the point he naturally created a line that would pass it as some point."

Kenta was shocked. "He created a line in his own head without thinking about it. That beat a guy who actually knew the course?"

"Well the funny part is, Aisuke knew the course too in a way. I had objectives in mind for each member of the Red Suns. Things I wanted them to focus on and improve or develop. Think of them as skills they'd need for later on for particular opponents."

Fumihiro looked at me just as surprised as Kenta. "You mean you knew all along who we'd face in Kanagawa. I mean before last year."

"In a way. I knew victories like this would boil down to more than just being faster. I'd need to give you all tools that specifically took down the opponents we'd face. Then when the actual battles and planning came I'd have to line you all up accordingly." I said.

"Against drivers this skilled, racing cars this well tuned there's only very particular things I can do to ensure victory. Aisuke's braking was always better than Omiya's, but his instinct to change it accordingly is what I always wanted him to improve." I raised my watch. "All the data we collected tonight will be the last I'll require of Ryoma and Kano."

III

The crowd left the Red Suns alone as it was clear the team wanted to speak to each other away from all the congratulations.

Takihiro passed Aisuke a cigarette, Yakuma reluctantly accepted to , and Daito partook as well.

Kenta looked like he wanted in, since like Yakuma he never did so but it was an occasion, but Keisuke shut him down very fast.

As Aisuke smoked calmly he spoke. "Ah let him try. He'll regret it real fast. You remember your first?"

"My first cigarette?" asked Keisuke as Takihiro lit his for him. "Yeah. It was at a car meet."

Takihiro chuckled. "No it was at the carmeet. It was the night Ryosuke put the team together."

Keisuke smiled. "Oh yeah. I still was a pipsqueak like um." he shrugged towards Kenta. "Pipsqueak."

"You coughed like a wimp and Impact Blue made fun of you. Or, Sayuki did." Takihiro said as Aisuke smiled and Daito cracked a small grin. "Mako had been quietly stalking your brother around every one of his races back then."

"I wouldn't call it stalking. It was fangirling I guess." Keisuke said.

"It was admiration I believe. True admiration. She was attracted to him, but all of Gunma, and now Kanto admires him."

Everyone was surprised by who spoke, their attention snapping to him. Daito was smiling.

Daito looked towards the Red Suns Sticker over his car. "I knew the team was special when Ryosuke put it together. I knew we'd be great. But never this good. Never this respected."

Daito sighed. "I wanted to give up on racing. I was so sick of all of it. The bad blood, the reliance on sponsorships. The atmosphere. I was done. I wanted to go."

He smiled. "But then Ryosuke stepped onto the track that one day at Chichibu. And he beat Aisuke, and the best drivers in Gunma. And he beat the 86, and the Evo. Slowly but surely I was convinced racing was worthwhile again."

Daito looked towards Keisuke. "Then you beat God Foot. And for the life of me I can't figure out why you're still faster than me on the hill climb. A large part of me wanted to try to compete in the K2 myself, or to watch you do so from afar. Now it's clear, I have to help you get there."

As the rest of the team sported surprised yet happy looks, Daito spoke. "I'm not leaving Gunma to help my family. I'm going to get you to the K2 Keisuke, and I'm going to help you become a world champion."

Keisuke laughed and hugged Daito. The two FD drivers hadn't been seen to be more cheerful than that night, even than when Ryosuke beat the 86.

III

"Ryosuke? Are you alright?"

Mako looked across the dinner table at me, we were nearing our anniversary so we ate at a fancy restaurant.

"We won today." I said.

"As usual." Mako smiled.

"Daito said something odd."

Mako looked surprised. "Doesn't he never speak?"

"He is extremely quiet yes." I nodded. "He and racing have an odd relationship. And he made it clear that he wanted to leave after the team had disbanded." I smiled. "Until now."

"Daito's staying?"

"Not just staying. He's going to help coach the continuation of the Red Suns on the pro circuit after the team disbands in a few weeks. Keisuke will have most of the uphill mechanics and now Daito will take him into the leagues necessary to qualify for the K2."

Mako watched me as I sighed. "My fastest racer theory will become renown worldwide. Just like I always wanted. Keisuke is going to solidify rotaries as the fastest sports cars in the entire world in a few years time. And I'll be leading my own family legacy while Daito won't."

"It must be troubling."

I frowned. "It's haunting. Doctor Joshima and my father are agreeing to put the best doctors of Gunma and Ibaraki together to form a giant medical corporation. It's all but assured I have to be at the head of it to succeed."

"And?"

"And I want time for other things besides medicine. Besides managing hospitals and their resources. I want time for you Mako. For Keisuke."

Mako smiled. "You will."

"I really hope so. That's what worries me. I want to help Keisuke too, at least as a part time coach when he goes to the Kanto 2000."

Mako nodded and put a hand on top of mine. "Whatever you want to do. You can. Look at what you've done so far. You're about to graduate early from medical school and you've made a street racing legend that no one will ever be able to top. And you did it all with a bit of wealth and an FC. I'm not saying you're invincible Ryosuke, no one is. I'm saying you can always do what you put your mind to."

"Thank you Mako."

Now I wouldn't say a bit of wealth, but she had a point. I ate my dinner silently in thought.

My entire dream. Keisuke avoiding a life of aimlessness and probable crime. The Red Suns never having careers or respect like what they do now, or even meeting each other.

Even things as simple like Takumi Fujiwara, the driver of Akina's 86 even connecting to street racing at all and having our battle. I had caused it myself. And Mako was at my side almost the entire time.

In a way, I never wanted to return to the simpler times when I was just trying to level up and make the FC faster. When the Red Suns didn't exist, when all people talked about was this strange white FC that was faster than everyone else.

Things were changing. The Red Suns were all about to move on, including myself.

But I would always have the FC. And Mako. And Keisuke. And Fumihiro.

Next week I'd defeat the second layer of defense at Kanagawa, Kenta would have his last race, and Yakuma would as well. Then Takihiro would race for the last time. Then Keisuke would. Then I would.

I could see the results of three years of studying and practice all about to come to fruition. I'd step out of the FC and Kanagawa would cheer.

Everyone the Red Suns had ever raced or even met in street racing would cheer.

I'd probably hug Mako, and I still would consider having a "White Comet" moment where I'd take a cigarette one last time while the whole meet watched in silence.

But I didn't want to indulge at that point. Because I was starting to have a different life.

Medicine was going to become much more important. I couldn't just finish assignments in fractions of as much time as I normally could while racing. I would have to be on the clock at the hospital until the merger happened a few years down the line. Or rather, become a doctor for that reason.

Keisuke would probably move out of our home. Father would at some point hand over the reins of the hospital chain, the merger with Joshima, all of it, to me and he would retire.

And at that point, the FC, the Red Suns, the 86, the Fastest in Kanto Project, all of it would unfortunately be little more than a memory.

I don't think I was sadder or more emotional in my entire life at that prospect.

I wasn't worried anymore about beating the remaining drivers in Kanagawa. I could be even with Shinji Inui but after God Arm, street racing or any racing, was something I don't think I could ever struggle with at all even in the slightest ever again.

My last worry. Or rather, my last unsolved variable, the last question I had to ask myself was if I would fully embrace the responsibilities disbanding the Red Suns meant.

I would only be mired slightly in racing. At some point, a point I'd never have to consider, I'd have to hang up the keys of the FC for good. I would no longer be able to street race as Akagi's White Comet, or the leader of the Red Suns, or any one.

There was very little I could do to overcome that prospect after literally riding to the top and establishing such a legacy like the one I have.

Victory was a double edged sword.

I got what I wanted, but I had a price to pay. One that went beyond replaceable commodities like money or even respect. I would retire from racing completely like Daito wanted to at some point. I would become a coach at best.

My FC could still run and race of course. But I didn't want to become like the God Duo. As much as I respected them, they were at the end of the day, middle aged legends who only raced after their youth.

This was something I ironically never simulated or even planned for.

The next step after the last one.