ACT 2 – 2000RPM 'Front Engine Rear Drive'
"H-how…how did you managed to get that car?" asked Reiko as she trembled in shock, staring at her sister in law's RPS13.
"Kanae was kind enough to let me borrow it for a while," explained Fu Huo briefly, "She's real sweet that girl,"
Reiko still could not believe Fu Huo managed to get himself a car to race with, and a pretty decent one at that. "You had better take care of that car then," Reiko tried to save face, "…surely we don't want little Kanae's car sitting in the same scrapyard as your LanEvo, do we?"
"You didn't answer my question," cut Fu Huo
short, "…are you ready?"
"Ha, you bet! I'm going to end
to what you somehow call a career tonight!" challenged Reiko.
Fu Huo shrugged ignorantly. He could not wait to get it over with. Though even with his stunning come back, the odds are still very well against him. He was still against Reiko, and what was more, it was also her home course. Yet Fu Huo had already raced here before, he still needed all the luck he can get on his side.
As it seems
that Reiko's first plans may have been slightly altered, with Fu
Huo actually showing up to the race, she knew at the back of her head
that he had walked right into her trap.
Both have had a great
share of defeat, but that night was a time for one of them to finally
end their losing streak.
The two road gladiators positioned
their vehicles accordingly, as one of the Bu Xia De staff members
briefly made the countdown.
If there was no better time to
settle this… That moment would be now!
Fu Huo had concealed
his fury and kept focus.
Both cars had shot off the line,
with Reiko's RX-7 grabbing the lead without hesitation.
Fu Huo
tailed closely right behind in Kanae's Sileighty, blasting out 'To
Be' Ayumi Hamasaki (Eurobeat Mix) .
Fu Huo had not much
room for carefactor at this point. No matter what, he could not sit
and take Reiko without a fight. His tenacity took him over and now he
had led himself in yet another trap.
Reiko's FD3S Spirit R was
nothing short of state-of-the-art and neither was her skill. It was
apparent that her flow was best suited for a course like Route
H3.
Fu Huo was nearly struggling to keep up. However, the
Sileighty was sufficient enough for Fu Huo to quickly correct his
mistakes. Kanae… it was you who gave me this chance…
Both
cars twin-drifted through the first sharp corner. Fu Huo felt a
little unstableness with the Sileighty in comparison to his LanEvo.
He could almost taste the feeling in his bone marrow; it was a car
that was to be driven much differently from his previous car.
There were different points to open and release throttle, as Fu Huo quickly realized. His cornering seemed a little sloppier than Reiko's, almost oversteering too much and even close to spinning off the road. However, Reiko's car was also a rear wheel drive. How does she do it?
Reiko attacked the corner at an angle. Fu Huo could feel the rear wheels push him forward while he began to steer sharply. The car had oversteered yet again. Reiko seemed very much in control of the battle. The humming sound of the mighty 13-B twin-rotor engine echoed along the plains as Reiko quickly glanced at her mirror. He's already beginning to screw up. Him driving an FR layout looks like a toddler making his first steps… It's sad…
Reiko exited the corner at nearly unparalleled velocity. She could not resist glancing at her mirror again. In an instant, she caught a glimpse of the Sileighty sliding right behind her.
'dare mo ga toori sugite'ku ki ni mo tomenai dou shiyou mo nai'
A few more sets of S curves did not widen or close the gap between the two cars. Reiko kept her cool against Fu Huo. She knew that she must not lose a third time at her home course. After being defeated by her own car model, she would not bear the shame of losing to the RPS13, driven by someone like Chuan Fu Huo.
'sonna garakuta o taisetsusou ni kakaete ita'
A twisting downhill was coming up. Without thinking, Reiko pulled the e-brake quickly and began to slide all the way through, maintaining a sharp inside line. Fu Huo managed to do the same, trying to keep his car precisely positioned for the corner's exit.
'mawari wa fushigi na kao de sukoshi hanareta basho kara mite'ta'
The Sileighty did not seem to understeer as much as the LanEvo V. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The front are rear wheels are doing separate jobs each. The next few corners was an opportunity for Fu Huo to try different approaches, yet Reiko's pace was still a little open for him to land an attack.
'soredemo waratte itte kureta "takaramono da" to…'
Reiko continued to glance at her mirror every now and then and still wondered why she was unable to lose her opponent. Each section became tougher and tougher. It was a rather hidden sign of her opponent improving drastically. "Still won't give up?" she quietly spoke.
'ookina nani ka o te ni irenagara ushinatta mono mo atta kana, ima to natte wa mou wakaranai yo ne'
Little
by little, Fu Huo was able to figure out how to drive Kanae's car
properly. Another thing that he was able to figure out was that he
now had a better field, better understanding… and a better
chance.
Now let's see what Kanae's baby can really do!
Fu
Huo had realized that he could use this layout to his advantage. He
could easily induce oversteer through effective and efficient
weight-shifting, at the same time, putting less stress on the
tyres.
'torimodoshita tokoro de kitto bimyou ni chigatte iru hazu de'
Koda Maya and Minako had briefly taken a break in the middle of the night, as they sat outside for a coffee and some fresh air. The two had lounged near the parking lot, sitting on a bench beside the little company car. The fierce white MINE's Impreza sat proudly yet dormant among the scenery outside the bar.
"Where is Fu Huo?" asked Maya.
"I
don't know…" replied Minako, "I have not seen him today at
all,"
"That's odd," said Maya, "Other than racing, there
would be nothing else he could be doing, unless he was working for
Zui Hou R again,"
"That could be the case. But I'm tired of
talking about him all the time. Let's look at something else,"
suggested Minako.
Maya had a sip of her coffee, as she
continued to stare at her GC8. She passed the mug to her sister for a
sip or two.
"Hey, Maya… what's so special about our car?"
asked Minako.
"Well… its tuned by MINE's? Haha," laughed
Maya, "Why do you ask this all of a sudden?"
"…Nothing,"
replied Minako, "By the way, who were those two foreigners from
this morning?"
"Not really sure. But they are probably here
for some competition as one of their activities," guessed Maya.
It was a rather accurate guess. However, they were slightly unaware of Chris and Dock's big stand that night at Route D1. Every time Maya would seemingly have lost interest in that kind of thing, something new always happens.
"Two of D1's best are out of
action," claimed Maya, "One of them is retired, and the other no
longer has a car. Without those two, the foreigners would be a great
threat to the locals…"
"Why are you telling me this? I
absolutely couldn't care…" replied Minako.
"I'm telling you this because… it could be about time for somebody to step up to face them and defend D1's pride…"
'kimi ga iru nara donna toki mo waratte'ru yo'
Fu Huo had
nailed it right on the head. Corner after corner, his flow struggled
from sloppy, then cruising to fluidly. It seemed the right moment. It
was now about time for Fu Huo to push it harder.
"Let's go…"
he quietly spoke to the car.
'kimi ga iru nara donna toki mo waratte'ru yo naite iru yo ikite iru yo'
After the previous sections, Fu Huo began to feel right at home in the Sileighty. He almost felt as if Kanae was right with him. And that feeling, really made him feel in control of things. Like he felt with Kanae herself. Different flashes of his memories littered his mind.
'kimi ga inakya nani mo nakatta'
Fu Huo smiled to himself. He began to remember the few very short-lived moments of affection with Kanae. He could even smell her perfume within the car's interior itself. The Sileighty pulled closer to the RX-7. Fu Huo was able to match everything Reiko could throw at him.
Another downhill twist came, and Fu Huo confidently plunged forward, almost hitting the FD3S, saved only by a couple of inches. But Fu Huo did not hesitate for a second. He pressed on, like Reiko was not even there. Just a little bit more…
Both cars began to lose traction. The curve was long, winding and twisted. The RPS13 twin-drifted with the FD3S through the apex. Kanae… I wouldn't have this chance if it weren't for you… Thank you, babe, haha…
Reiko glared at the Sileighty to her side. H-How? What is it that drives him? Could it be… his passion on the street?
Fu Huo was able to maintain control of Kanae's vehicle as he gently continued to counter-steer around the curve. However, the FD3S was already in a severely oversteered state. It did not take long after the Fu Huo had overtaken her, for Reiko to spin out, partially scraping bit's of the wall, tearing off pieces of the FD's front kit...
The battle had finally concluded at Route H3 with Fu Huo claiming the victory and established Zui Hou's dominance once again in some way or another. The two road racers met up at the end of the route, parking their vehicles next to each other on the sideline. Fu Huo knew what the result would be all along. He knew what he could do and could not do if he went all out. Thanks to a fellow road racer, Kanae, Fu Huo was able to gain retribution through a car he was not even familiar with.
"…Please say whatever you have to say," muttered Reiko, "I admit defeat. You totally owned me back there… I know I owe you more than just an apology…"
Fu Huo was not up for much to reply, as he looked at Reiko's FD which was mildly damaged next to her. He almost ignored what she had begun to say and instead asked, "…Are you alright?"
"…What?"
"Are
you okay? You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" asked Fu Huo
politely.
Is he trying to insult me? Or is he naturally
this kind? I don't believe it…
"I have absolutely
nothing to say to you, Chuan Fu Huo," admitted Reiko shamefully,
"…I take back everything I said and I will do anything you
ask…"
Fu Huo shrugged and looked away briefly in thought.
Anything I ask for?
He then replied firmly, "…I don't
need anything from you," he extended his arm out for her, offering
a handshake to his opponent.
Reiko felt totally ashamed, yet
shook Fu Huo's hand gently. Now I know what Kanae sees in him…
"There's no need for words," added Fu Huo, "I have
said all I needed to say in tonight's battle."
It was a sign that indicated that Fu Huo has matured not only in his driving skill, but also with his street ethics. He was starting to become more like Kumiko…
"Thank you for coming out here and accepting my challenge," ended Fu Huo, "…I think our business here is done. Good night."
"Good night…" replied Reiko.
Fu Huo stepped back into the Sileighty and began to drive out.
Chris and Dock were
just about finished for the night. Most of Route D1 had emptied out,
even though the pair had still lounged around for a couple of more
minutes for a smoke.
It was already past midnight, it was about
time for them to call it a night. The two had begun to finally drive
out and continue along the rest of D1's hillclimb.
It was a fun night indeed…
Chris in his Accord followed right behind Dock's Galant on their way up the mountain route. It was a perfectly balanced front-wheel drive machine built for everyday use, but also modified for sport. It's interior was covered in leather trim, sound systems and DVD. It was basically almost everything a man could ask for.
Dock's car was virtually a monstrosity. It's 4WD capabilities tore down D1 in a single bound that night, showing considerable force along with its 350HP output that intimidated most of the locals.
However, considering such a strange time of the night, Chris saw a spec of light closing in towards him from his rear view mirror. Someone's still here?
Neither Chris, nor Dock had changed in their vehicle speed. They continued to drive along as they normally would, until Chris glanced at his mirror again as he heard a somewhat intimidating growling noise from behind. It was only a short moment and a car had popped right up behind his tail.
Who can that be? I haven't seen that car tonight…
Chris began to accelerate a little more, revving his
engine to signal Dock to do the same.
What's going on?
The
two had begun to speed up drastically, as they tried to lose the car
behind them to no avail.
This one's different to the others…
A few more sets of corners and the car behind them had
already prepared to pass them.
That thing's not slowing down!
Before Chris knew it, the car was already beside him,
slowly passing him by.
His eyes widened in shock, as the same
Impreza WRX from the cafeteria was speeding right ahead of him. That
woman…?
What's going on, Chris?
It did not take long for the WRX to pass the other car ahead, which was the Galant Super VR-4. Dock was overtaken out of nowhere and with ease. The two foreigners were unaware of the situtation before it was too late. With no preparation at all, they have been easily been smoked at the last hour.
That wasn't fair. We didn't see it coming…
The pair knew that it would eventually come to this. It was clear that the woman from the cafeteria would come to face them in due time…
News of the foreigners had hit the many underground street-racing entities by the next week. However, neither faction had taken much notice or action about their new playmates. Zui Hou R lay seemingly dormant and quiet that the time. Unlike its usual enigmatic herald, there was no sign of storm to date. Yet considering this, the other monarch-like figureheads of the scene are still around.
Dreadnaught Racing's own Gallard Raide had met up with Bu Xia De's Alex the Burning Ruby during that day, establishing a link between the D1 forces and Bu Xia De. With the twin Divine Unit power trip, Fukada Kumiko and Chuan Fu Huo away from the scene, it was que for others to fill in.
"Eventually, more and more foreigners are due to land themselves here. It's only a matter of time until they move across from D1, to all other places," hunched Raide, who stood next to his S2000 just outside Koda's café.
It was 12:00AM midday; Alex had joined Raide around town. He was fully aware of the scenario, and much excited nevertheless.
"I see what you're saying," replied Alex, "They think they can just tango in here and think they can dominate us… Well, they're no Zui Hou R… But since we have not seen the likes of them in a while, we cannot rely on them to defend the locals."
"That's exactly what I
was getting at," confirmed Raide, "We at Dreadnaught will take
care of D1. We'll leave H3 up to you."
"Fair enough,"
agreed Alex, "But what about C4 and F5?"
"Hmm… Not too
sure. Well, do you have anybody in your crew who has considerable
experience in that course?"
"I'll check," said Alex, "By
the way, can you provide any more accurate information about the
foreigners?"
"One of them drives an Accord R. Saw it last
night, it seems rather balanced on the downhill, yet its weak and
impotent on the uphill. The other is a Galant VR-4. It's basically
the opposite of it's counterpart," explained Raide briefly.
"However… we've come across other rumours…"
"Could
it be the same ones we've been hearing?" wondered Alex.
"Well,
have you heard of rumours about a MINE's Impreza WRX that attacked
the foreigners last night?" told Raide.
"Actually, we've
been hearing reports about the same car ploughing through D1 during
odd times of the night for a long time now. But we haven't been
able to gain any concrete evidence on whether it really is… you
know…" said Alex.
Could it really be? Kouda Maya has made a return? By why hasn't she exposed herself? Why does she only make these appearances?
"The only way to find out is to
ask Koda Maya personally," confirmed Raide, "Though I'm not
really acquainted with her much,"
"Nor am I,"
Moments later, the two had been joined by the most unlikely pair to show up. The Galant and the Accord had arrived and parked next to their rides. It appears that the MR-2 and S2000 had caught the eyes of the foreigners.
"Some nice rides y'all got there," called
out Chris. "What y'all runnin' in there?"
"…Care to
find out?" lured Raide.
"I don't mind," said Dock, "And
hopefully, that Impreza from the cafeteria will show up too. Smoked
us yesterday as we were leavin' D1…"
"Impreza? From the café?" wondered Raide. Could it really be Maya? Why is she coming back now?
"Wait a sec…" interrupted
Alex, "Is it not true that Maya has a sister?"
"Oh, that's
right," confirmed Raide, "But she's not the road racer
type…"
"Are you sure?" asked Alex. "Perhaps we'll find
our answers out tonight…"
"Okay, nine o'clock at D1, boys. See y'all there," confirmed Chris.
Chris and Dock
had continued on and made their way out and left the others
behind.
"Does Zui Hou know of them?" wondered Alex.
"I
don't think they even care," hunched Raide, "And neither should
we about them. We can hold off foreigners on our own,"
