ACT 6 – 6000RPM 'With Great Power Comes Great…'

The two had finally popped in straight into their respective machines, as the countdown had finally begun. The revving of the engines soaring and growling across the line echoed along the valley, while the music was turned up from the vehicle, 'Sparks In The Dark' from Initial D. The newly restored shiny black paint of Fu Huo's Evo reflected the moon's shine along with the dancing tree branches through the wind.

At long last, the race begun, as both cars shot outward with Fu Huo stealing the lead quickly. An early portion of the race, Fu Huo somewhat held back, allowing his opponent to take the lead on the first corner.

Pow! Pow! Pow!

That noise… an anti-lag system… My hunch was right…
Alex continued on further, not letting down his pressure. He aggressively turned into the S curves while being closely pursued by his opponent. Alex was not surprised at all.

The ever-confident Fu Huo chomped along both the corners' entry and exit points, which more than matched his opponent's speeds. He matched his car's new abilities with his precise control with the wheel, pedals and shiftknob, eager to give out signs to show that he was now better than ever.

'Come over here and kiss me all night long.
No matter what you do,
I want to pull your hair turn out the light.
Baby, just me and you…'

So early in the race, Alex was already giving it everything he's got. But no matter where he would go, the black haze never left his tail.

'Come on, girl, don't be afraid, 'cause you got me to the bone…'

Fu Huo quickly experienced an adrenaline rush the more he could hear the banging noise caused by his ignition system. The SW20's agility seemed to have all been matched by the Evo's ever superb maneuverability. Alex began to feel the struggle little by little at various sections of the race. He predicted as much, as it was the same feeling he had planned for Fu Huo down at Route F5.

'Burning with the fever, yelling out for more, for something…'

Through the seemingly insurmountable odds of his situation, Alex did not panic or faze himself completely. He was aware that Fu Huo's greatest strength will also inevitably his greatest weakness. The race did not seem much of a battle anymore. He is going the wrong path in his growth as a street racer. A real champion remains true to himself and knows the difference between acquiring power, and controlling it. Fu Huo flaunts his own too much. His intentions, his qualities, they are not that of a true champion, but a fallen warrior who had been consumed with his own greed and jealousy…

The Evo V occasionally thrusted it's face outward, just for Alex to see how close it was from hitting his car during the corners. This alone distorted Alex, unaware of how fast his opponent could really go and how much he was still holding back. Everything he was once in control and aware of had suddenly flew out the window.

'…Like a spark in the dark, like a spark, in the dark'

Fu Huo did not buy in to Alex's criticisms. He did not consider for a second that anything he said was anything at all correct. All he knew was what his own heart told him.

'No matter where we sleep or we park.
No matter where we stop or we run…'

The Evo was able to tackle corners at a superb line, without even having to drive at an angle that Alex had to drift. After every corner and straightaway whether entry or exit, Alex could feel the rage coming from Fu Huo's movements and actions.
It was almost as if Fu Huo's aura was grasping his opponent to lose no matter what. It seemed to be more than just a game. His entire pride was at stake.

'I'll take you to the deepest darkest place,
Baby don't be afraid,
I'll take you to the hottest lover's lane
Remember what you said…'

Fu Huo quickly lost his patience and began to attack during the next downhill twister. Without even having to skid, he moved his car to the inside line and strolled fiercely using left-foot braking and precise movement with his steering.

'Come on, girl, don't be afraid, 'cause you got me to the bone…'

The Evo quickly stole the lead as soon as the corner's exit, outclassing the MR-2's speed out of the apex and leaving a wide gap just before being easily overtaken.
Alex had already seemed to be driving at his best. Yet there was nothing more he could do.

'Burning with the fever, yelling out for more, for something…'

Fu Huo's tenacity drove him further, pushing himself to widen the gap even further in the straightaway. He ignored all the constraints that have binded him before and threw them all away. He copied Alex's own drift angle even as he was in front of him, for the sole purpose of mocking his abilities. Alex knew he could still keep up. But what he did not know was that if he could do more.

'Like a spark in the dark, like a spark in the dark…'

Fu Huo had let his feelings run free and tore along into the next section with retribution in his mind. He felt that he must not let Alex win no matter what. And he continued to prevent him to do so, as Fu Huo took full advantage and broke the seal of his new ability. Nothing seemed to have anything against his sheer aggression.
He continued along the final section, with Alex tailing right behind him.

Yet Fu Huo absolutely did not give Alex the time or chance he needed to capitalize on anything, as the darkness of the LanEvo shot through the finishing point, stealing the victory…

Moments after the battle, the two drivers remained behind for different reasons. Fu Huo could not resist rubbing his win into Alex's face, as he enjoyed the temporary pleasure of sweet revenge. Alex knew exactly where Fu Huo was headed. He was able to accept his defeat with no problem, yet he was concerned for young Fu Huo and what violent destiny could possibly await him.

"Enjoy this victory, Chuan Fu Huo," began Alex, "But one day, you'll find out that power is not the main key to being the absolute best. I hope you realize this before it's too late,"

"What're you trippin' on?" mocked Fu Huo, "One day, it is you who will find out that you need to go back to driving school,"

Alex ignored Fu's insults and continued on, "Listen to me, Fu Huo. You will not become better than Fukada Kumiko with your attitude. She did not become a champion because she wanted power and control over all those around her, but because she poured her heart, soul and devotion to the game she loves, whether she won or lost, as long as she was in control of her own self. She saw road racing as her passion, rather than her goal. You, Fu Huo, are leading yourself into a path that will consume and overthrow you with your own greed…"

"It's beginning to interest me a little," said Kumiko a few days later, sitting at her desk within the Zui Hou R branch in the town area. "Not even Raide knows how he was defeated."
She took a sip off her coffee mug, and then leaned back, staring at the office fan on the ceiling as the morning sun shined in through the huge glass window.
"What were you doing the other night anyway?"

Fu Huo sat at the other side of the desk in discussion with Kumiko and Ling Luan during their lunch break. He resented all that had to do with Minako's victory over one of D1's top veterans in her first try. However, Ling Luan on the other hand shared Kumiko's interest of this new potential.

"I was at H3, testing my new machine," explained Fu Huo, "You should know that by now. Didn't you see the trucks exit the base?"
"No, I didn't actually," admitted Kumiko. "So how'd you go?"
"I won, of course,"

Fu Huo did not want to jump into conclusions again. He did not want to think about Kumiko jumping out of retirement yet again just to battle Minako. It would not happen in Fu Huo's world. Not before he beats them first.

"…Anyway, Fu, how long have you known your friend, Minako?" wondered Kumiko.
"What's this all about Minako all of a sudden? Why is everybody talking about her now?" argued Fu Huo, "She's just a normal waitress at the local cafeteria after all,"

"Not many waitresses can defeat Gallard Raide in a downhill duel at Route D1," added Ling Luan.
Fu Huo laughed to himself in ridiciule of the fact that Minako had a hidden talent. He did not want to admit Minako's potence, yet he still knew that she would very possibly be able to become better than anybody. She just had that impression on Fu Huo.

"Minako doesn't even have a car. She defeated Raide using her sister's own resources," excused Fu Huo.
"That's the beauty of it. She could perform the way she did using someone else's car," complimented Kumiko, "As simple as it may sound, its actually not."

Fu Huo was in doubt of how Minako was able to improve that much. All he did was teach her a little introduction to drifting and a few basics of car control, nothing more.
I don't think Maya has any time to show her anything either…

"Fu, do you really doubt her abilities that much?" asked Kumiko bluntly. It was a trap question for Fu Huo. Although Fu may seem a little jealous about all the fuss going on about Minako, deep inside him, he felt a little proud and perhaps a little happy for her.

"I'm not sure," excused Fu Huo.

The more Ling had heard, the more he wanted to hear. Yet at last, the urge had finally come to him, "I do not know whether to agree with either you or Fu," he said to Kumiko, "Minako may have defeated Raide, but it could have been just a fluke. We all know that you of all people would know a good driver the instant you see one, but I am really anxious to give Minako a run. If you don't mind, Fu,"

"Sure, go for it," confirmed Fu Huo. "Trying to fish noobs now ever since you lost to Jeni?"
"Ooh, that's mean, Fu," answered Kumiko. "I bet Minako could give you a bit of a run, Fu!"

Fu Huo laughed at them both, with much doubt in Minako's ability and a load of confidence in his LanEvo V, he claimed, "Don't be mistaken. Minako is more like traffic in comparison to my abilities. I don't care even if she might be blessed by the Street Angel's gift herself; she's not an opponent in my league. And very soon, neither will you."

The race was due to commence that very same night, while Fu Huo agreed as Minako's coach once again. He took his mind away from himself for once and thought up of some good tips for Minako to fall back on during the little driving session with Ling Luan. Fu Huo thought of something different at this time of change. Perhaps he could encourage Minako, though her actions may be extremely unsafe, Fu Huo always respected her for following her heart. I guess she's into racing now. Whether it's because of me or not, even hypocrisy won't change anything. All I can do now is be here for her and make sure she doesn't screw things up…

"Hey, Fu," spoke Minako softly, revving her sister's car excitedly, "Thanks again,"
"No problem…" paused Fu, "Just don't overdo it, okay?"

It was 9:30 in the evening, a small crowd had gathered along D1 to witness the vaguely scheduled battle that would take place. It mostly consisted of people who already knew of the battle beforehand that was to take place. Kumiko was present as well as Raide and Hokuto from Dreadnaught R.
Jeni from Bu Xia De was also there to spectate the match, already accompanying Ling Luan.

"You've heard of the story about the Street Angel, haven't you?" Raide asked Kumiko and the others.
"Yes, only briefly though. Though I still don't know much about her," said Kumiko.

"The fastest female road racer I've seen in my life, the Street Angel is truly a sight of many wonders to be seen, if ever seen at all," told Raide.

"Do you know more of Kyoko?" continued Kumiko. I thought that all information about Kyoko was all achrived and hidden by Zui Hou R…?

"Of course… I've been witnessing her race ever since I was in high school. It was such a long time ago, yet I still remember. It's been almost a decade…" reminisced Raide.

"So you've actually seen her?" Hokuto asked on.
"Yes. I was even defeated by her once," explained Raide, "Nobody really knows her true car. She's been seen driving an FC, AW11, S13, R31 and many others. Nobody knows who provided her with those rides, I'm not sure if those cars were even her own,"

"So she used to drive other people's cars and take them beyond their limits?" asked Kumiko.
"Yes… Kyoko could basically borrow someone else's car and possibly even drive them better than the owners can," explained Raide, "Until one day, Honda released a production line of a new exotic vehicle. Kyoko used all her winnings and borrowed funds to purchase one of the first NSX's released in the country,"

"I see… it makes more sense. So Kyoko had a '91 model NSX or something?" wondered Kumiko. And Zui Hou R's KYOKO is also an NSX… the late '02 model…

"Yes… I was still an inexperienced driver back then. I didn't really have an official battle with her. She easily passed me with that machine at a mountain route quite different from all the others here locally. I only got to see that thing once, but I still remember every line, every sound, within that moment, I was overtaken by one of the most enigmatic legend of the racing world…"

"I see…" realized Kumiko. So this is what the Emperor was telling us.

Raide continued on, "Her skills just made you feel that you were still a lifetime away from becoming a decent driver. When she's behind you, the harder you push on, it will only feel as if she's the one going faster, rather than you. At the beginning, she seems just like an ordinary driver among the rest. Many of her opponents often underestimate her due to her plain and steady driving at the beginning, yet something always happened that made the drivers end up choking,"

"How fascinating… I wish I could have that impression," said Kumiko.
"Kyoko was a true sleeper. She was so secretive in her driving and practice sessions too. She seemed rather inexperienced in behaviour and very naïve in appearance. But at a critical point during a battle, Kyoko can really engrave into your head that she really owns you,"

"I've never felt that from any driver before," claimed Kumiko.

"It happened again a couple of nights ago…" confessed Raide, "I experienced the same effect… while racing with Minako…"