ACT 9 – 9000RPM 'Warming Up'
The next two races for the preliminary rounds of the BXD tournament were not due until the next weekend, but the racers are already anticipating and heating up about the whole concept. The remaining matches to be held at Route C4 were Gallard Raide versus Mirishima Reiko, and the race that everybody seems to be eagerly awaiting, Fukada Kumiko versus Shireishou W.
While some of them
continued with their day jobs, others spent time practicing and
fine-tuning their cars even further. Raide, for example, the only non
turbo-charged competitor in the tournament, relentlessly adjusted his
car settings to better suit his driving style.
His dark S2000 was
like a black dragon, laying dormant in the garage, as Raide endlessly
worked it to near-perfection. A little bit more downforce on the rear
had been adjusted, the suspension a little stiffer. For a track like
C4, Raide has strengthened his brakes on the rear, while leaving the
front as it is. Unlike his Route D1 settings, Raide's put more
stability on the rear than usual.
Down at the Dreadnaught tuning shop, Hokuto stopped by, parking his GtiR in one of the garages, then made his way with some information for Raide, concerning the BXD tournament.
"Hey cuz… about your
match…" called out Hokuto.
"What's happenin', Hokuto?"
greeted Raide. "Find out something?"
"You're racing
against that Reiko chick, yeh?"
"I think so,"
"Well,
she's not local street racer. Not only does she sponsor for Bu Xia
De at the tournament, but she's one of the elite members of the Bu
Xia De autocross division,"
"I see… she must be good in both
low and high speed cornering… What about her street career?"
"Its
not too bad either. But she's mainly an autocross junkie… Her
Spirit R is heavily tuned for racing…"
"With the AP1, which
I have balanced on both uphill and downhill is tuned for the street.
We'll collide with our differences in styles and see which
prevails."
After work, Kanae once again headed back to her apartment at last, and yet again, sat in front of her computer, opening chat programs. Kanae was a bit of a chat room junkie, who spends more time downloading scripts than installing turbines.
KaNny: heii…!
Resurrection: hello Kanae, how
have you been?
KaNny: I'm okii… having trouble sleeping as
usual, lol
Resurrection: …lol
KaNny: Sorry 4 not bein on 4
a few dayz… I had 2 stay in town 4 a while coz the route was
blocked
Resurrection: Oh I heard about that. So you were involved?
Good thing you're fine.
KaNny: Thank u. Were u
worried…?
Resurrection: Well… a little, hehe…
Resurrection:
Btw, how's the tournament?
KaNny: Its pretty good. I'm
advancing to the next round! U should come and watch.
KaNny: My
first opponent was ez tho…
Resurrection: I see… I dunno yet,
but maybe I might come and see you there.
KaNny: Really? Lemme
know, okai?
Resurrection: I told u, I'm not sure yet
Days have passed, and finally, the second half of BXD's preliminaries is to commence, concluding the tournament's Route C4 clash. The galleries were even more packed than they were during the previous race night. The regulars were present, including the competitors from the previous races; both winners and losers, except for one, Chuan Fu Huo did not stick around to spectate any of the races.
The third race of the preliminaries was enough to heat things up even more. Chief representative of Dreadnaught Racing – Gallard Raide showed up, rolling by with a heavily tuned S2000 and took his position on the starting point, while the tournament host and also Bu Xia De's elite, Mirishima Reiko, brandishing the limited edition FD3S Spirit R, armed with an RE Amemiya widebody parts kit.
Raide
slowly stepped out of his car. He had a rather excited expression on
his face, yet still seemed calm. He was a reserved individual, yet
seemed so humble, and has extraordinary patience compared to most
people. He was also the kid of racer who let his driving speak for
himself. Hokuto and Cath look up to him, as if his bald head
processes more than a thousand mega hertz of data. To Raide, racing
is a game, though his mind does not steer too far from the dangers
involved. He was dressed in a black tank top, boasting his muscular
build, and some expensive leather Versace pants and expensive
shoes.
It was clear that he wanted to feel a little 'exclusive'
prior to the race, as to represent Dreadnaught Racing.
And from the other corner, the titanium gray Spirit R slowly rolled into position like a boxer stepping into the ring. Reiko stepped out of the car, and leaned on it. She loved the atmosphere, and the tension that built up every time a road race was about to begin. Reiko was the kind to feign naivety to hide her true intelligence. She wore a black coat, and a gray working shirt with the Bu Xia De emblem sewn on the left breast pocket. Along with her black blouse and stockings, she wore a pair of short, but dark lace-up boots, without any of those high heels that made her look like she was standing on stilts. She made sure that she wore the correct footwear to enable precise heel and toe movement, so she lay off the heelers for that night. Reiko also armed herself with her pair of racing gloves, also with the Bu Xia De emblem.
"Just one thing…" began Raide,
looking on to his opponent, "No matter who you are, I'm going to
release my best. I would expect the same from you. To me, I'm not
just racing to win. I'm racing for fun. It wouldn't be as fun for
me if my opponent wasn't at her best."
"That's fine…"
replied Reiko. "That's the way it should be. But just remember,
this is a tournament…"
And indeed it was a tournament.
Both drivers are also eager to advance, therefore, concerning with
their strategies as to not expose them too early. Only one of them
will advance, the other will go home.
The two competitors shook
hands briefly, and then stepped into their vehicles.
Reiko's
husband, Fao, stepped away from the Benz and walked in between the
AP1 and the FD3S to begin the countdown.
"My, I wonder how this'll turn out…" said Kumiko, who leaned against the guardrails, watching on from the gallery. Kanae stood next to her, watching on closely.
Fao completed the countdown…
Both
drivers shifted to 1st gear, and then slammed on the accelerator and
throttled past Fao in a blaze.
The cars were both side by side
from the beginning. But there was hardly any room for them to twin
drift the first corner…
"You're going too fast!" said
Raide, as he looked on to his side.
He let off the throttle
briefly, while the Spirit R stole the inside line through the first
turn.
The AP1 wasted no time and did the same, staying right
behind the FD. Loud hip hop music blasted from his car.
Such
precise control! Raide exited the corner, his car revving to the
higher rpm's, then shifted.
This car's so much different
again. But somehow, I like it.
Tires screeched, the dust cleared as the taillights of the two cars disappeared into the valet.
Reiko pushed on forward, tackling the next
corner as the scream of the rotary echoed along the pass.
That's
odd… He seems to be able to keep up with my boost.
Through
the next corner, the AP1 closed the gap from the opponent.
Reiko
took another glance at her mirror. His response is great… but he
still seems to be getting some boost somehow…
Reiko
quickened her pace, trying to keep her eyes of the rear view. Raide
however, kept the pressure on and followed her line, copying her
tactics.
Reiko has never raced in C4 before. On the other hand,
Raide has. Reiko took a chance, and gripped the outside line on the
next corner, allowing Raide to pass through. Raide noticed this as he
sped along.
It was his turn to dictate the pace. Though he was
still trying to get the hang of his new car, he seemed to be going
pretty fast.
Reiko followed and watched closely. There doesn't seem to be any emission giving away from the turbo… Well that's cause its not…
She had to throttle on a bit more just to keep up with Raide. He seems like he knows this course… His cornering is more precise. It wouldn't be able to do the same if I wasn't following him.
Reiko released the throttled briefly, but much to her surprise, the AP1 accelerated on through the turn as she began to steer. The gap widened a little. What the hell…?
The Spirit R initiated a drift
through the next corner, barely getting back right on the S2000's
tail.
Raide was in dilemma… This car's unpredictable…
It's fast on the low-middle revs… but something feels weird…
Reiko rushed on… I've got it… , she throttled as she slowly took advantage of the boost on the mild straightaway. That S2000 is equipped with a supercharger.
The FD3S kept up with the AP1 on the straightaway. Both drivers felt the tension heating up. Neither of them had any room to hide their true skill if they wanted to advance. Realizing this, Reiko jabbed the throttle, upping her pace and steering hard. Raide did not hold back from here on. He realized that the FD was slightly faster on exit.
Reiko overtook Raide and took the lead again for the next section. What a powerful car… Raide began to steer madly on the wheel, tackling the insane S curves up ahead, quickening the pace and pressuring the opponent in front, as his cornering ability and speed seemed high. Raide maintained his grip through the previous section.
The FD's taillights flashed red…
Tires
screeched and leaves blew past, as the car flew sideways…
She
controls her car good. Raide watched on, as he left-foot braked
into the next corner, maintaining grip through the inside line. I've
figured it out… Now its time to drive this car how it's meant to
be!
Up next was a sharp hairpin curve, followed by a
blind turn. Out of the corner, both cars followed the same line,
flying sideways, as each of their lights scanned the road, one after
the other.
Raide shifted to a lower gear, just before the turn, as
he steered hard, his car revving high, gaining him a bit of
oversteer.
His car drifted almost parallel to the FD. Now I'll show you the power of VTEC + Supercharger!
The two
cars bolted across through the next section. The gap did not widen at
all, with the FD3S in front, and the AP1 almost touching its rear
end.
Reiko… Your abilities are of a supreme class indeed…
The S2000 suddenly changed its line, as if about to overtake. The FD swerved to the same direction, attempting to block off Raide.
Well done… Fishtail blocking… now that's a technique learned on the street. Raide kept his car on the same lane.
Both cars were tackling mild curves, from 90kph to
140kph.
But this is not the track, Reiko…
As
Reiko sped over and took the inside, Raide did the complete opposite.
He's still behind me… Reiko throttled on, then quickly
glanced in her mirror again…
What the hell? Where is he now?
Reiko smiled to herself, giving out a sigh of relief, as
she slowed down and stayed close to the apex.
Keeping her eyes in
front, she quickly noticed a dark figure slowly getting past her
car.
"What the hell?" Reiko drove in shock. In a matter of moments, her view went from the road, to being a carbon fiber wing. How the hell…?
Raide was the one who was smiling at this point. There's actually a reason why my car's paint job is black…! And now you just experienced why. This is something you don't learn in autocross!
The FD shot
itself straying right behind the AP1. Reiko steered the wheel madly
to the side, motioning her car as if she was about to
overtake.
However, she was still in shock of what happened… What
the hell did he do?
They were almost at the last few sections of the track. Reiko watched his opponent skillfully managed the weight of his car, as he used its momentum to slide down the corkscrew, and at the same time, be ready in position for the next turn. Reiko then noticed its headlights turning back on. Hmm… so that's what happened… What an old trick!
Reiko followed the exact line that Raide took down the corkscrew. Although she still had enough grip on her tires left, she sent her car at a higher speed than he did. I see… your car stalls on the higher revs!
Instantly, Reiko turned off her lights completely,
but then clutched in, sending her revs at wild rpms as she began to
lose traction, utilizing Raide's own clutch kick technique.
Using
her wits and instinct, Reiko used the S2000's tail lights as a
guide, while having her lights off.
Ahead came the final sections of C4. Raide now had a big smile on his face. She must be still in shock… The game's almost over. She won't be able to recover in time. This battle's mine. I thank you, Reiko, for such a fun race. Winning's just a bonus.
Raide began to cruise
through the wide set of turns ahead, not noticing his brief drop in
speed.
Reiko however, pressed on forward, noticing the situation…
You're making the same mistake I did… You've dropped your
guard completely.
Just before the final hairpin curve, Raide began to notice the slight humming noise that could be heard from behind. That's the sound… of a rotary?
Reiko
quickly then popped her lights back on, flashing on Raide who was
staring at his rear view mirror. What the hell…?
Raide
was distorted temporarily by the flash, losing concentration.
Reiko
sped up with the power of her twin turbo rotary, as if she was
pushing Raide to go faster.
Shit!
Raide struggled
to control his car. As soon as he set his attention back forward, he
then realized he was going too fast for the hairpin ahead.
Reiko
slowed down, using her remaining grip and swiftly maneuvered to the
inside, while Raide coped with major understeer…
It's not your car that flawed you through the race. It was your de-tuned instincts that cost you.
The FD3S easily passed the AP1
through the inside, then sped on ahead on full throttle.
Utilizing
the full power of her RX-7, Reiko sped on and claimed the victory,
with the S2000 following very closely from behind…
So I lost after all… Even through his defeat, Raide could not help but smile. It's been fun tonight. I'm much grateful to have such a good dancing partner.
The semi finalists of the
BXD Tournament are as follows:
Chuan Fu Huo
Mirishima
Kanae
And now the latest victor, claiming the spot in the next round, Mirishima Reiko, advances to the semi-finals, leaving Shireishou S, Carjack Ohjay, and Gallard Raide being knocked out.
After the previous race, the regular half hour break commenced, but the crowd did not rest, awaiting what was coming up next.
