ACT 6 – 6000RPM 'The DOLLS Campaign'


Since that battle, my career has finally received its kickstart. I had finally been taken under Fukada Kumiko's wing and together, we would establish my upcoming reign on the streets with her guidance and concepts, and we are assigned by the Emperor to challenge each team from different locations to a team battle, consisting of only me against the best of each. Kumiko had continued further to get me used to her lifestyle, her vision, and her fashion among the streets. We had begun to travel from course to course, establishing our names and the Zui Hou R concept as a follow up from the previous Operation: Zheng Fu from several months ago. Having the role of Shireishou X given to me, I had also been in charge of the other generals. I am very thankful for their ongoing support through these times, as we all had the same job in mind.

We had basically toured the region, just Kumiko and I, along with Mark, Stephen and Ling, as we entered in various competitions in both the public and the private scenes. It was great fun, and also a good learning experience. I had become more and more used to the pilot system and car control, as well as how to use my skills on different situations and strategic decisions.

We had earned a fair amount of profit for our organization due to most of our winnings in the public racing scene until I was later on banned from the track due to unfair advantage – I think that was rather funny. Kumiko did not seem to enter at all and she mostly served more as a coach. However, I could not even finish counting how many races I have won mainly due to Kumiko's instructions and plans. She basically did all the thinking and planning, while I just worked on carrying them out and doing as I was told. Fair enough.

I had also been more closely acquainted with Miss Kumiko and I began to understand a lot of the things she had gone through with my sister, and later on with Fu Huo. Our campaign together had seen the revival of the previous one she had with my sister, now passed on to another Kouda, which was myself. The racing world had begun to know us as the 'Neo-DOLLS'.

It took us a couple of months to run our campaign and our final stage saw us down at Route H3 in our encounter with the elite racing team of Bu Xia De. There was to be only one battle, and once again, I was selected to compete. It had been clear to me that the other generals have defeated this team once in the past.

However, we have yet to challenge their best in their home ground and Stephen had claimed that they were probably the toughest group they had ever faced. He thought it was appropriately challenging for KYOKO and me to take on their finest racer, the Burning Ruby. Ironically, it was the same night of Fu Huo's birthday.
I had felt a great piercing in my heart, realizing he never made it to see the light of twenty years old. I just hope KYOKO would guide me and help me separate my personal dilemmas from my work, as I struggle to hold back my sorrow…

KYOKO… please guide me though this…

I was told that I would need to use everything I have learned, everything I have gained, and everything I have trained for just to defeat this one opponent. The Burning Ruby Alex was apparently like none other. They say that he could have even defeated Miss Kumiko at some point. But I am not Kumiko.
I am just me, and that is all I can rely on now - nobody but me. But I am here now because of everything everyone has done for me, thanks to my sister, Kumiko, and the rest of Zui Hou R. But especially you, Chuan Fu Huo… you are the reason why I made it this far.

Alex was not really as intimidating as they say about him. He's actually just very professional and mostly firm in his ways. Yet as I met up with him and his other Bu Xia De colleagues, they were very welcoming of my presence at Route H3. They are welcoming nothing but their defeat.

"I see the light of a great road racer in your eyes, young Koda," said Alex. "You seem just like your sister – perhaps even better. Just by your presence, I can tell the gossips were true."
"Um… thanks. Let us have a honourable battle tonight. Best of luck to the both of us."
"Honourable battle? It has been a while…"
"Yes… in honour of Fu Huo… it is his birthday today."
"Chuan Fu Huo… I am sorry to have heard about his fate. I certainly hope these times would not be any more as harsh on you than it already is. You are much different to him in a driver's spirit. You are pure and driven by a fine line away from the greed and power in which your friend once strived to achieve. You however, are in the path of light which shall lead you to infinity!"

I had somehow been motivated with Alex's words, but they also made me wonder even more about how Fu Huo must have felt. What kind of anguish he could have experienced, what kind of darker ambition he had in mind which Alex spoke of. I shook hands with him briefly, then returned to my vehicle.

I staged my car to line up next to my opponent's car, usually referred to as 'SW20' or MR2. It had that supercar sort of look, and this extreme red paintjob. I noticed that the engine was also behind the driver – just like mine. Well it was no time to be thinking about my opponent now. I'll just drive. And KYOKO will allow me to do so at my absolute limit. I should not lose.

The countdown ended, and without hesitation, I accelerated the car from the starting point, racing against Alex's car on take-off. Although I was unfamiliar with the course setting itself, KYOKO assisted me in calculating each possibly outcome of every possible action I could take, as if it were telling me… what could happen next. I have only just realized that KYOKO, in a way, somehow predicted what was to happen. Could this thing show me my future?

('One Night Romance' – Koda Kumi)

KYOKO and I… we were able to easily keep up with our opponent – for the mean time. I completed yet another 'heel & toe' movement as I downshifted a gear, preparing to match Alex's angle into the corner. Without much time to think back, I had to quickly steer my vehicle back into the direction of the next curve. Surely, the Burning Ruby was fast. But it was clearly nothing I've never faced before. Last time I had a battle this tough; I had to rely on the system to show me the way. I must not depend on it too much…

'nakushita yume to futashika na mirai kousa suru
am I just trippin'?'

I could hear hissing noises from the other car. It was similar to the kind of hissing noise from my sister's car and most other heavily tuned vehicle I have encountered, including Fu Huo's. However, my car does not have this hissing noise. Driving this car after experiencing my sister's Gee-see-eight, I realized that those kinds of cars relied on something – something that my car did not.

'uso ni tsukareta watashi torinokosareteku no
ima kimi shika mienai'

I see… KYOKO tells me that I can work that to Alex's disadvantage. I can enter into the corner faster than he can, but I just have to try and keep up with him on the exit. I can use the full advantage of my vehicle's responsiveness through these S-curves. But that MR2 is really fast. Surely it has got to have a weakness, but it's too little to exploit. Hold on a sec… I feel I can do anything with this thing, and so easily at that. Is that what this car was selected? Alex must be putting a lot of effort to manage his heavily tuned machine, yet no matter how much I put my back into it, the system continues to push me further. It may seem dangerous, but this could be the thing that I need right now.
If I can keep at one hundred percent the whole time, I could wear him down with the help of KYOKO…

'kawari yuku jibun no naka de kono toki wo kizamasete'

I hope this does not turn into another disaster. It seems that I keep telling myself that everytime I do battle; yet I do not seem to be worried at all. All I could ever do at moments like this was drive.
There's no difference in this from all the other times! KYOKO tells me… I will have victory in this night once again!

'kizu tsuku nara aishi wa shinai
I wanna know what's all about'

Just like usual, I took the very first chance I could, even though it was a little early in the battle. After all, I am already at one hundred percent because of this thing. There is nothing holding me back now, I have to take it. I ceased to mimic my opponent's brake points and kept on the throttle. Using my vehicle's momentum alone, I steered hard into the direction of the corner at high speed.

'one night romance
futari hikiyoserare yoru ni shizumu'

Once again, KYOKO had managed so show me my opponent just before I had began to overtake him. I did not stop, however. I continued to slap on the throttle, which somehow caused my wheels to spin and easily set my vehicle at an angle in which I desired. The system also somehow manage how and when the wheels would lock and when not to. I still continue to be amazed by such a creation.

'toki hanatareta yokubou ga tsutsumi komu
subete wo kowashinagara'

Alex did not seem to pull back any further. Even after overtaking him during that wild twist, he seemed to have never left my mirror. This battle may be a whole lot tougher than I thought, but it did not seem to faze me. I knew that as long as I could keep this up, he had no chance. Is this was KYOKO is trying to telling me? Is this why she is not giving me room for a breather?
Out of a split second, KYOKO had shown me how much my opponent was already struggling to keep the gap as it was.
We must not give him any more of a chance!

I begin to haul my vehicle at higher speeds than usual. This was going to be a big one, yet it did not feel any different. Man, this system does well in restraining any form of distraction. By this point, as I could see the corner in the distance KYOKO had shown me, I was already driving as fast as possible.

'I wanna know what its all about
I need to know what its all about'

I had then begun to turn the car a little early as my vehicle began to understeer. I continued to accelerate, exceeding my tyre's limited grip and increase my speed at the corner. Without a single spark of hesitation within me, I slid my vehicle sideways along the hairpin. The car continued to slide along the corner elegantly like it's reputation proclaimed as I continued to use the steering and throttle to balance out my car, pushing it forwards at such high speed.

This was something that I have been struggling to do for a long time. It feels like I seemed to have managed to do it before though. This combination of ostentation and speed…
It was one moment that made me feel… so alive. This was not just some amplification from KYOKO.

'one night romance
tomadoi mayoi nagara yorishireteku'

I was followed so closely, but on and on, KYOKO had just constantly gave me only merely a glimpse or taste of what Alex really meant about 'infinity'. I could just feel it, right within my grasp, for that short moment.

'namida ni wakare tsugerareru kimi no tsuyosa
ima hoshii no'

Everything I have learned, achieved, and trained for until now has really payed off. Although still rather struggling to grasp total control with KYOKO, at least I am a little more used to how it operates.
Without it, I probably do not think I would win. I feel like I could go further, do more, race more, but before I even knew it, I had already crossed the finishing point. Perhaps this was because Alex was so closely behind me the whole time? He is rather amazing. It is quite rare for anybody to tailgate me like that at all. This guy… I do not believe he is on my level…

'And I'm going to make you see
that I'm not that kind of girl
One night romance'

I have had a chance to have a brief word with Alex, right after the battle. I know it was time to celebrate since our long campaign had finally been completed, yet I still felt a little… empty, I guess.
Alex congratulated me on my victory. Though I still do not feel like I had won.
Much to my surprise, Kumiko had also made her way down to see us at the finishing point, having followed us during our battle.

"I am impressed, young Kouda. But not very much surprised," praised Alex. "You have shown maturity both within your skills and within yourself."
"Forgive me if I seem unappreciative, sir. It just does not feel like I won."
"How ever do you mean?"
"My vehicle has a special drive unit which gives me absolute advantage to my perspective and techniques. I believe it was unfair."
"Minako… everything you have brought to me in this race is a part of you. Whether it be your car, your clothes, your luggage, tyres, whatever it is, whatever you have brought down here with you is you. That includes that drive system of yours. That is what makes you unique. However unfair it may seem, that system gives rise to new competition and leaves me with a challenge for both drivers as well as engineers to match such great invention."
"But…"

I did not really expect Alex to see the brighter side of KYOKO. He was actually right in a way. The car and the driver are one. Everything with it is a part of me. A short moment later, however, Kumiko had decided to explain a little further.

"The system is no walk in the park to handle either," interrupted Kumiko. "I myself have tried it, and I could not even match compared to her results. This system requires the most stable of minds and feeds back a lot of mental stress that only the truly skilled can cope with. And that individual is Minako."
"So there you have it. No argument here," backed up Alex, "Do you now believe that you have won?"
"I guess so…" I replied softly…