A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back to my racing story. I know its been awhile, and this story is probably dead at this point, but I'm still going to continue it regardless cause I know there are some of you who still want to see this story through to the end.
Before we begin, I wanted to thank you guys for the favorites and follows this story has been getting. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much as that was only the first chapter, but somehow, this story is already at six favorites and seven follows. So, thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me!
Anyway, I'm giving a bunch of shoutouts before we begin with this chapter. So, shoutouts to Shadicgon, ABS120 and Sweet Kagamine Kiss for being the first three to leave a review/comment on the chapter, a mega shoutout to SonikNaoko for being the FIRST to favorite and follow the story on the day I published it and finally, this story, along with later Neptunia racing fanfics are HEAVILY inspired by "RaceDimension Neptunia: Accelerated", a fanfic written by Galaxylight364, and "Neptunia Kart: Double Dash!", a fanfic written by HistyisPissty, so big shoutouts to them for the inspiration and bringing the idea of racing fanfics back into my life.
You're probably wondering "What do you mean by "bringing the idea of racing stories back into my life"? Well, I never mentioned this, but here is a little story. When I first made my account, which was a LONG time back, I was REALLY into racing games and such, but when I first started writing stories, I was into other stuff, so the racing stories never came to be, but now, I'm bringing those stories back into light. Also, I've noticed there aren't many Neptunia stories that include racing. I only managed to find the ones I mentioned above and those are in my favorites.
Now, I realized that this may be a REALLY long chapter due to the fact that there are so many racers and having them each draw their car will be boring, and you guys probably want to get to racing action ASAP, so I decided that there will be some time skips and will put down a list of the characters and the cars they drew. I'll only keep them in if something humerous or interesting happens.
Anyway, without further ado, lets see what cars our Neptunia characters get to drive in.
Disclaimer: Hyperdimension Neptunia belongs to Idea Factory and Compile Heart, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit belongs to EA, any cars used in this story belong to their respective brands and any references used in this story belong to their rightful owners.
Hyperdimension Racing: Hot Pursuit
Chapter 2: Drawing Cars
The next day, the Planeptune girls skipped breakfast and walked over to Chuko's Shop, where the racers would pick a random card, which would decide which vehicle they'll be given for the tournament. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the other contestants from Planeptune.
"Hey, everyone!" Neptune greeted the other girls. "I take it you all saw the announcement yesterday?"
"Sure did, and I was excited when me and Kurome were selected." Adult Neptune said.
"She was, and I gotta say, its been a while since I did any kind of racing, so if this tour is another way I can do some racing, then I'm all for it." Kurome added before seeing Uzume. "Hey, Uzume. Your competing too, huh?"
"Yeah." Uzume answered. "Like you, I've been waiting to participate in an action-packed racing tournament like this."
"Say, Kurome? Weren't you suppose to be going to Paradise City this summer?" Rei asked outta nowhere.
"Yeah, but as I was packing yesterday, I watched the announcement and was selected to be one of Planeptune's participants for this year's racing tournament. So, I had to cancel the trip till later. Depends on how long this tour will be." Kurome explained. "Heck, I might even stay there until the end of the year. The winters aren't usual that bad over there."
"Well, according to the website, the tournament is next week. It begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. On Sunday, we begin in Planeptune, Monday, we race through the desert, Tuesday, we race through Lastation, Wednesday, we race on the freeway, Thursday, we race through Lowee, Friday, we race on the canyons, and finally on Saturday, we race through Leanbox, and THAT will be our end point." Iffy explained, looking at her phone.
The Planeptune girls were somewhat shocked and confused of what Iffy just said, especially Neptune.
"Wow...That is alot to take in. So, in between races, we race through deserts, freeways, and canyons..." Compa confusingly stated. "Does that website specify who the pursuers are?"
"Not right now. I'm guessing they're still trying to hire drivers." Iffy answered.
"Well, one way or another, let's just hope this race doesn't end up like the tournament two years ago." B-Sha said.
"Agreed. That kart racing tournament was a disaster just waiting to happen." Nepgear added. "Let's try and not add this tournament to the "disaster" list."
The other Planeptune girls nodded in agreement. Just then, the girls heard tires squealing, and looked towards the sight of a car, powersliding around the corner. It was a grey Nissan GT-R SpecV. Inside, they saw Famitsu driving and Dengekiko sitting in the passenger seat. When they saw the Planeptune girls outside the shop, Famitsu skid to a halt and parked the car.
"Hello, Planeptune girls! Thank you all for coming today!" Dengekiko said, getting out of the car and closing her door.
"Well, it seems like you two already drew your car." Iffy said, eyeing the Nissan from left to right.
"Yep. Since Famitsu is the driver and I'm her partner, we both pulled the card." Dengekiko answered.
"Actually, considering that Compa is my partner in this tournament, how will drawing cars work with us?" Iffy asked.
"Well, if you're a driver with a partner, you two will have to decide on a card together. You can't just pick one and your partner chooses another. It doesn't work that way. For example: Ram and Rom are going to be partners in this tournament. So, they'll need to decide on one card together." Dengekiko explained.
"Oh, so me and Iffy have to decide on a card... Got it." Compa said. "Thanks for clearing that up for us."
"No problem!" Dengekiko replied with a smile. "Anyway, do you have any other questions before we head in?"
"Yeah, actually. Is there any new updates as of late?" Neptune asked. "We checked the race website just now and we saw how the tournament will go. Is there anything else that we should be aware of?"
"Now that you mentioned it, yes. There have been some last minute registrations last night after the announcement, so we have more racers." Famitsu answered. "Five girls and one guy."
The Planeptune girls stood silent upon hearing that. Out of all the male characters they encountered, there was only ONE male in particular that came to mind, and it wasn't all good. Taking a shot at the dark, Iffy decided to ask the question.
"Um, that one guy wouldn't be Secretary, is it?" Iffy asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. Due to his last minute request, he HAD to be added. Believe me, Famitsu and I are NOT excited that he is in this tournament. Honestly." Dengekiko answered.
"What? Why would the "worst self insert ever" request to be in this race? He can't drive for shit!" Uzume snapped.
"I don't know. Maybe he wants to prove himself to all of us that he isn't all that terrible as we all make him out to be, or something like that." Dengekiko shrugged, unsure on how to answer Uzume's question.
"Well, one way or another, that piece of crap is going down!" Uzume firmly stated.
"Right...Anyway, what about the five girls? Who are they?" Nepgear asked, changing the subject.
"They're inside, but I think most of you know them. In fact, Iffy, Neptune, Nepgear and Uzume should be familiar with them. You girls met before, from what I've been told." Dengekiko replied.
"Really?" Neptune asked.
"Yeah. Anyway, see you all inside."
With that said, Dengekiko and Famitsu entered the shop. Shortly after, the Planeptune girls followed along.
Inside the shop...
After waiting for what seemed like hours, the Planeptune girls were finally inside the shop. They saw that most of the racers were in line, waiting to draw the car they would be using. However, five girls stood out to them, and they were the ones in front of the line.
"Hey, aren't those the Sega Hard Girls?" Neptune asked.
"Oh my goodness! It is!" Nepgear exclaimed. "Segami, Saturn, Game Gear, Mega Drive AND Dreamcast! They're actually here!"
"Well, its been awhile since we've seen the girls." Iffy replied. "Wait, are those the girls Dengekiko was talking about?"
"I think so." Adult Neptune answered.
"Awesome! I've wanted a chance to race against Dreamcast!" Uzume stated.
"Same here." Kurome added.
Just then, Neptune noticed the other CPUs and the CPU Candidates in the back of the line. She and Nepgear went over to greet them while the other girls were getting their positions in line.
"Hey girls." Neptune greeted.
"Hey Neptune." Blanc and Vert said casually in unison.
"Hi Neptune!" Ram and Rom exclaimed in unison.
"What's up?" Noire replied.
"Hey Neptune. Hey, Nepgear." Uni greeted back.
"Say, where are the other participants?"
"They're in the line somewhere." Ram answered, pointing towards the long line in front of the counter.
Neptune looked towards the line and saw the other contestants. She was shocked with how many there were. She knew there was alot, but not to the point where it almost felt cramped in the shop, and adding the Planeptune girls made the crowd even more huge.
"Wow! Look at how many racers are here!" Neptune said in amazement. "It looks like everyone here is destined to pull the M3 GTR card."
"Agreed. Like, imagine how amazing it would be to drive the legendary street racing machine in a tournament like this." Nepgear replied.
"I hope I draw the card." Vert stated. "Its been my life long dream to drive a legendary street racing machine in one of these events."
"Hah! Doubt it. If anyone is going to be driving that car, its gonna be me!" Noire boasted.
"Sis, don't jinx it." Uni thought to herself.
"Well, me and Rom hope to pull a medium card. A car not too fast, but not too slow either." Ram said.
"Yeah. Somewhere in the middle." Rom added.
Then, just as Blanc was about to explain something, she was interupted by a loud screeching noise, followed by a voice that echoed through the shop. The CPUs and the CPU Candidates turned their attention to the counter, where Dengekiko and Famitsu were holding megaphones. It seems like they had an announcement to make.
"Hello, fellow racers! Thank you all for coming! As you already know, I'm Dengekiko!" Dengekiko shouted through a megaphone.
"And I'm Famitsu, the driver of our team!" Famitsu added.
"And welcome to the "car draw!" Now, we will state the rules one last time before we begin!" Dengekiko began before continuing with her explanation! "One at a time, Chuko will call up the line, and as soon as you approach the counter, you will be allowed to pick ONE card out of the pack, and that card will contain the key to the car that you'll be driving in the tournament and your starting position on the grid. If you're a team of two, you and your partner will have to decide on a card before you pull it! Once you have your card and the key, you will head to the back and claim your assigned machine!"
"Also, do NOT attempt to get a sneak peek of the cards when Chuko isn't looking. There are cameras everywhere, so doing that will result in you being automatically disqualified!" Famitsu firmly stated. "Does everyone understand?"
The racers all nodded their heads, indicating that they understood.
"Great! Now, let the draws begin!" Dengekiko shouted one last time before heading to the back with Famitsu.
Segami was first one the line, so she was the first to pick. She looked at the cards in front of her and began to think. Once she made a decision, she picked a random card and flipped it over.
"Congrats, Segami! In the tournament, your car will be the Chevorlet Corvette ZR1!" Chuko shouted through her megaphone.
"Okay. Thank you." Segami said before she walked to the back to claim her car.
"Okay. Next!" Chuko said through her megaphone.
As soon as Segami left the line, Dreamcast walked over to the stand. Without saying much, she pointed towards the card she was choosing, picked it up and turned it over.
"Congrats, Dreamcast! In the tournament, your car will be the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport!" Chuko shouted through the megaphone. "Unfortunately, it'll be in black and white. I hope that's okay."
"It is. Driving something that doesn't have orange on it won't kill me." Dreamcast said before grabbing the key and headed to the back.
"Next!"
Leanbox Draws
Five minutes have passed and the Sega Hard Girls have already drew their cars.
1. Segami - Chevorlet Corvette ZR1
2. Dreamcast - Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
3. Mega Drive - Pagani Huayra
4. Saturn - Koenigsegg Agera R
5. Game Gear - Pagani Zonda R
"Come on, you two! Just pick a card! You're holding up the line!" Chuko shouted.
Now, the Leanbox competitors were next. Unfortunately, Linda and Warechu were first on that line, but they were currently having an arguement as to what card to choose.
"We should pick this one." Warechu said, pointing at the middle card.
"No! We should choose a card from the top!" Linda exclaimed. "Its obvious that the good cars would be at the top of the pack! If it isn't the M3 GTR, then at least let it be an exotic car."
"No! That isn't always the case!" Warechu snapped back. "You know what? We aren't getting anywhere with this! Let's decide with a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors! Whoever wins gets to choose the card!"
"You're on!" Linda replied, turning her hand into a fist.
"CAN YOU TWO HURRY UP?!?! YOU'RE BOTH HOLDING UP THE LINE!!!" Abnes shouted.
"CAN IT, BLONDIE!!!" Linda snapped.
Linda and Warechu both made fists and looked at each other with determined looks before doing the classic line that starts the game:
"Rock, Paper, Scissors, SHOOT!!!"
They both made paper.
"Coincidence?" Linda asked.
"I think NOT!!!" Warechu snapped. "Again!"
"Rock, Paper, Scissors, SHOOT!!!"
Warechu made rock while Linda made paper...AGAIN!
"Wh-What?" was all Warechu could say.
"SEE? YOU NEVER EXPECTED ME TO GO FOR PAPER AGAIN!!! HAHA!!" Linda taunted. "Anyway, we're going for one of the cards on top."
Ignoring Warechu's little grunt, Linda picked a random card from the top of the pack and flipped it over.
"Congrats Linda and Warechu! In the tournament, your car will be the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera!" Chuko announced.
"See? I told you we would get a high-end car from the top." Linda told Warechu.
"We just got lucky, chu." Warechu snapped back.
Linda only rolled her eyes as she and Warechu made their way to the back.
"Anyway, next!"
Lastation Draws
Another five minutes have passed. Vert chose to go to the back of the line, to increase her chances of getting the M3 GTR. Meanwhile, the other Leanbox competitors have already drew their cars.
1. Linda And Warechu - Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera
2. S-Sha - Ford Shelby GT
3. Chika - Aston Martin DBS
4. 5pb - Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV
5. Cave - Aston Martin V12 Vantage
6. MAGES - BMW M3 E92
"ARGH! So close!" MAGES groaned as she went to the back.
"Up next! The contestants from Lastation! Come on down and draw your cars!" Chuko shouted through the megaphone.
"I am volunteering to staying in the back!" Noire said before heading to the back of the line, alongside Vert.
"Of course you are." Uni thought to herself. "Well, I guess I'll choose first."
Uni walked over to the stand and chose her card. She didn't even care what card she chose, but what happened next...was something Uni never expected.
"Congrats Uni! In the tournament, your car will be the Bentley Continental GT V8!" Chuko announced.
"Huh? That car isn't even in Need For Speed!" Uni replied.
"Well, it was in the car list. Keep in mind that some of the cars here aren't from NFS. This year, the racing officials decided to throw in some cars from the Asphalt series. Also, this car was in Asphalt 8, so it still works." Chuko explained.
"Huh. Well, I guess something is better than nothing." Uni thought to herself as she made her way to the back.
K-Sha was next on the line. She walked over to the stand and glanced at the cards. Then, after a few seconds, she picked a random card from the second row and flipped it over.
"Congrats K-Sha! In the tournament, your car will be the 2005 Ford GT!" Chuko announced.
"YES! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" K-Sha gleemed before skipping all the way to the back.
"Okay. Next!"
Lowee Draws...
The Lastation contestants have all drew their cars, except Noire, who chose to go to the back of the line.
1. Dengekiko and Famitsu - Nissan GT-R SpecV
2. Uni - Bentley Continental GT V8
3. K-Sha - Ford 2006 GT
4. Anonydeath - Porsche Panamera Turbo
5. Steamax - Porsche Cayman S
The Lowee contestants were next on line. However, Ram and Rom were first in line, so they got the first pick. The twin candidates whispered to each other for a few seconds before Ram went ahead and flipped over a card they both decided on. However, the car they got was something they DIDN'T expect to draw.
"Congrats Ram and Rom. In the tournament, your car will be the Lancia Delta HF Integrale!" Chuko shouted through the megaphone.
Ram and Rom both looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Chuko.
"Really? A Lancia?" Ram asked. "That car isn't even in Hot Pursuit!"
"Seriously? I did mention to Uni that there were going to be cars that aren't from Hot Pursuit." Chuko explained. "Also, that car was in Most Wanted 2012, so it still counts as a NFS car."
"That gives me all the more reason to say that this was a poor draw!" Ram shouted. "Rom, we've made a bad draw."
"Well, at least it ain't too fast, nor too slow." Rom replied.
"True. At least you didn't get the worst car in the catalog." Chuko whispered to the twins.
"Worst car? What NFS car could POSSIBLY be as worse as the Lancia?" Ram replied.
Chuko showed the catalog to Ram and Rom and pointed at the car she was talking about.
"Oh...right. Well, thanks, I suppose.." Ram whispered back before she and Rom went to the back.
C-Sha was next in line, so she stepped over to the stand and picked a card. She didn't even give herself a second to think as she went ahead and pulled a random card from the remaning batch.
"Congrats, C-Sha! In the tournament, your car will be the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR!"
C-Sha really didn't say much. She just nodded before taking her card and headed to the back.
"Next!"
Planeptune Draws
The Lowee contestants have all drew their cars. No one decided to go to the back to increase their chance of getting the M3, which was surprising.
1. Blanc - Porsche Carrera GT
2. Ram and Rom - Lancia Delta HF Integrale
3. C-Sha - Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR
4. Abnes - DS Survolt
5. Financier - Lamborghini Reventón
6. Mr. Badd - Hummer H1 Alpha
7. Copypaste - Copypaste
"Wow. Who would've thought that Copypaste would transform into a vehicle..." Compa said in surprise.
"I thought as much. I mean, I WAS curious on how Copypaste was going to race, considering he was a giant robot." Nepgear replied. "I guess him being the vehicle was a possibility? I don't know."
Finally, after waiting for what seemed like forever, the Planeptune competitors were called up. Rei decided to wait in the back, alongside Noire and Vert, hoping that increased her chances of getting the M3 card.
Neptune was first in line, so she got to pick first. She wasn't taking any chances of going to the back of the line cause she knew she was going to get the M3 card on her first try, cause of her quote on quote "protagonist" powers.
"Alright. Its time to activate my protagonist powers and get that M3 card." Neptune thought to herself as she stepped up to the stand.
"Ah, Neptune. Tell me. What are your chances of getting the M3 card?" Chuko asked.
"Easy. Its because I'm the protagonist!" Neptune answered.
"That doesn't always work, Neptune!" Nepgear shouted from a corner.
"Nepgear, please. Let me have this." Neptune replied, giving her the hand.
"Anyway, pick the card that you think will give you access to the M3 GTR." Chuko replied.
With that said, Neptune began to use her "protagonist" powers and picked a card without any second guesses, as she was confident that things would go her way and she would obtain the M3 GTR card. However, that didn't go very well. Once she flipped the card she chose, her eyes widened and the entire world around her crumbled.
"Congrats Neptune! In the tournament, your car will be the Mitsubishi Lancer Evoluntion X!" Chuko shouted.
Neptune was shocked. She was hoping that her protagonist powers would be effective and she would get the M3 GTR. Instead, she ended up getting a car that some NFS players BARELY used, let alone rumored of being the worst car from Hot Pursuit. So, feeling utter shock, Neptune dropped to her knees and lowered her head.
"Wait...no, no no! This isn't the card I was hoping for. The Lancer Evo is the worst car in NFS Hot Pursuit." Neptune stuttered before looking at the camera. "Btw, no offense to anyone that like or own these cars. This is just our honest opinions about them."
"Told you..." Nepgear thought to herself.
"Um, I don't know what you just said there Neptune, but you already picked your car. So, its waiting for you in the back." Chuko replied. "Now get a move on. Your older counterpart is next in line."
"Ugh! Fine!" Neptune said before letting out a grunt of disbelief, getting back on her feet and headed towards the back to get her car.
Adult Neptune was next in line. She walked over to the stand and glanced at the cards. She picked a random card from the third row and flipped it over. However, that card was the ONLY card remaining in the third row.
"Congrats Adult Nep! In the tournament, your car will be the Lamborghini Diablo SV!" Chuko announced.
"Awesome!" Adult Neptune exclaimed before taking the card and heading to the back.
Nepgear was next. Like Adult Neptune, she picked a random card from the remaining rows and flipped it over.
"Congrats Nepgear! In the tournament, your car will be the Bentley Continental Supersports!" Chuko announced.
"Oh my goodness! I actually got the car that I was hoping for. What luck." Nepgear said to herself before heading to the back.
"Next!"
Kurome walked over to the stand.
"Ah, Kurome Ankokuboshi. You know, for someone who usually leaves this city for the summer, I didn't expect to see you participating this year." Chuko replied.
"Chuko, I wouldn't miss a tournament like this for the world." Kurome stated. "Also, I've played alot of Hot Pursuit games as of late."
"Well, that would help you in a tournament like this. Anyway, pick a card."
Kurome thought carefully and looked at the cards that were in front of her. After a few seconds, she picked up a random card and turned it over.
"Congrats, Kurome! In the tournament, your car will be the Pagani Zonda Cinque!" Chuko announced.
"WHAT!?!?" Uzume shouted from the line.
"Now, there are two colors to choose from. The usual black and white, or the special NFS Edition, which is orange and black. Which one would you like to race with?" Chuko asked.
"The black and white one. Thank you." Kurome answered before grabbing her card and heading to the back.
"Next!"
Uzume was up next. She walked over to the stand and chose a random. She had her fingers crossed, as she was hoping to pull the card with the other Pagani Zonda Cinque. When she pulled the card and flipped it over, she was surprised.
"Congrats, Uzume! In the tournament, your car will be the Pagani Zonda Cinque, the NFS Edition!" Chuko announced.
"YES!!! YES YES YES!!! THANK YOU!!!" Uzume shouted, pumping her fists in the air to celebrate before heading to the back.
Once Uzume went to the back, B-Sha was next in line. Like everyone else, she picked a random card and flipped it over.
"Congrats, B-Sha! In the tournament, your car will be the Audi R8 GT!" Chuko announced before whispering something to B-Sha. "Good luck, out there. You'll need it."
B-Sha nodded and headed to the back.
The Remaining Draws...
Iffy and Compa didn't draw cause Iffy was going to be using her motorbike, with Compa being the co-rider. So, with that said, the only ones who didn't draw yet were Vert, Noire, and Rei Ryghts, and there were only four cards left on the table. One of those cards...is the M3 card. At this point, the racers were all back inside, their chosen cars parked outside the shop, waiting for the final racers to pick their machines.
"Alright. So, we have three more racers, and four more cards. Remember, one of these cards will give you access to the BMW M3 GTR." Chuko said to the remaining racers.
"Hold on. Why four?" Rei asked.
Then, as if on cue, the doors to the shop burst open, revealing Secretary-san. The Planeptune girls, along with others except Noire and Uni booed when he entered.
"Oh! Shut up, all of you! Anyway, sorry I'm late. Did I miss anything? Is there still a card for me to draw?" Secretary asked, trying to catch his breath.
"Not much, except that there are four cards left. There was meant to be three, but one of the Planeptune racers didn't choose a card and just stuck with their personal vehicle. So, consider yourself lucky." Chuko explained.
"Oh, thank goodness." Secretary sighed in relief.
"Secretary, why are you late? You were suppose to leave alongside me, Uni and K-Sha." Noire asked, whispering.
"Sorry, Lady Noire. I just overslept." Secretary answered back.
"Hmm...Unlikely story, but okay. Anyway, watch as Vert tries to get the M3 card and fails." Noire whispered.
"You know I can hear you, right?" Vert called out.
Vert was first since she was the first to decide to stay in the back, so she got to pick first. She began eyeing the cards from left to right and humming, as if she was doing "eeny, meeny, miny, moe" to decide what card to choose. Once she was done humming the song, she chose the card that she looked at when she finished. She picked the card and flipped it over.
"Congrats, Vert! In the tournament, your car will be the Aston Martin One-77!" Chuko announced.
"Oh well. You win some, you lose some." Vert thought to herself as she took her card and headed to the back.
"Alright. My turn." Noire said as she walked over to the stand, a look of confidence on her face.
"Ah. Its your turn, Noire. Now, judging by your face, are you going to end up picking a car you didn't expect instead of the BMW M3 GTR?" Chuko asked.
"Not at all, Chuko. I am 100% certain that I'm going to pull the M3 card." Noire answered.
"Um, Neptune said that last time and she ended up getting a Lancer Evo." Chuko said before being interrupted by Neptune.
"THAT WAS A FLUKE AND YOU KNOW IT!" Neptune shouted from across the room before Iffy placed her hands over Neptune's mouth to silence her.
Chuko brought out her megaphone once again and said. "Also, to the remaining three, be warned that one of these cards...contain the most unluckiest car to ever pull! So, take your chances wisely!"
"Well, I got nothing to worry about, cause I already picked the best car." Noire proudly said as she grabbed her card, which was the first one in the row, not even flipping it over yet.
Noire looked at Chuko, only to notice that...she looked unnerved.
"What? Why do you look so nervous? I picked the best card, did I not?" Noire asked.
"Um, no...You actually picked the worst car in the tournament..." Chuko said.
"What?" Noire asked.
"Flip it over." Chuko replied.
She flipped over her card to see what Chuko was talking about, but when she looked, her eyes widened, her heart nearly skipped some beats, and she felt like she wanted to drop to her knees in defeat. The car she picked...was...
"Um, I don't know how to say this, but...congrats, Noire? In the tournament, your car will be...the...Mini Cooper S Roadster." Chuko said through some pauses in between.
She couldn't believe it. Noire, the patron CPU of Lastation, was about to be driving a MINI COOPER in the tournament. A MINI COOPER of all things.
"What? No! This has to be a joke! This was rigged! You switched the cards, didn't you?" Noire exclaimed.
"No. The cards were not changed in the slightest." Chuko answered.
"That's gacha chance for you..." Uni whispered in Noire's ear.
"SHUT IT, UNI!!! No, I refuse to race the tournament in that piece of trash!" Noire exclaimed.
"You know, some people drive these things, and they aren't too bad, so don't be calling the Mini Cooper a piece of trash. I own one and it works just fine and dandy." Chuko bluntly stated.
"Speak for yourself, Chuko!" Noire exclaimed. "In case you forgot, I'm the Patron CPU of Lastation! I can't be seen driving a piece of garbage like this! Maybe you could, but I-"
"WHO GIVES A CRAP!?!?!? YOU PULLED A CARD, SO LET THAT BE THE END OF IT!!!" Chuko snapped.
Chuko sighed heavily and pointed towards the back.
"Noire, just take your card and go to the back to retrieve your vehicle." Chuko said.
"But I-"
"NOOOOOOWW!!!" Chuko shouted through the megaphone.
"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!! Secretary, you better pull the M3 card!" Noire said in defeat as she grabbed her card and proceeded to the back.
Chuko took a few deep breaths before calling the next racer over to the stand, which was Rei Ryghts. Since Secretary was late, he gets whatever card is left.
"Anyway, Rei Ryghts, the former leader of the Seven Sages now turned over a new leaf. What are your chances of getting the M3 card?" Chuko asked.
"Well, given to how unlucky I am sometimes, I doubt I would pull it. However, if I was to pull the M3 card, it would be a dream come true." Rei answered.
"Wow. You are right. It would be a dream come true to race with a legendary machine like that. Anyway, pick a card and see if you can make that dream real." Chuko replied.
Rei looked at the two remaining cards. She had a choice to make. She could either pull the legendary M3 card, then she'd be able to compete in the tournament driving in the legendary racing machine in NFS history, or she could end up like Noire and pull a card that contains another unlucky pull, but not as bad as Noire's.
Taking a few deep breaths, she placed her gloved hand on the card on the left and pulled it towards her. At this point, it was now or never. She has picked a card, and now, it was time to see what the car she would be driving was. Tension was high and she was nervous, but she had to continue. With one clean swipe, she pulled the card and flipped it over.
Suddenly, the sound of a bell was present, followed by confetti falling from the ceiling. Rei and the other racers were confused, but then, Rei looked at the card she pulled, and was completely in shock.
"Ding Ding Ding! We got a winner, ladies and gentleman! Congrats, Rei Ryghts! In the tournament, your car will be the BMW M3 E46 GTR!!!" Chuko announced.
"WHAT!?!?" Noire shouted from the back room.
She did it. Rei successfully pulled her dream vehicle, by some random chance. She happily took the card and went to the back. Most racers were either happy for her or shocked by this, but Neptune was shocked by this. Meanwhile, Secretary was dumbfounded that his one chance of getting the M3 was pulled away from him in the matter of seconds.
"What? She gets the M3 GTR? Then what do I get?" Secretary asked.
Chuko flipped over the final card and saw what car Secretary would be driving. Then, she showed him the card, which was another unlucky pull.
"Congrats, Secretary! In the tournament, your car will be the Nissan 350z." Chuko announced.
"Fuck..." Secretary thought to himself as he grabbed his card and made his way to the back, where Noire and Rei were currently.
Once the final card was drawn, Dengekiko and Famitsu emerged from the back with their megaphones.
"Hello again, fellow racers! How was the car draw?" Dengekiko asked.
Most racers responded with "meh" while some racers were happy about their choices and others were upset about theirs.
"Okay! So, the tournament begins next week, which means everyone has a whole week to train their racing skills! Also, be sure to check the tournament's website daily, as news about the pursuers will be updated when they hire drivers. Until then, me and Dengekiko wish you all the best of luck." Famitsu concluded before leaving the shop with Dengekiko.
Once they left, the racers exited the shop, hopped into their assigned vehicles, and drove off. Noire and Secretary exited the garage and drove off with their unlucky cars. However, Neptune and Nepgear were the only ones who haven't left yet. Just then, the girls heard tires squealing, and looked towards the sight of a car, powersliding out of the garage and zipping past them. It was the blue and silver BMW M3 E46 GTR, with Rei in the driver seat.
"Well, who could have seen this coming? A former villain gets the M3 GTR? Talk about a plot twist." Neptune said with a sigh.
"Actually, for most NFS games, the antagonists of those games usually have the M3 GTR. Its kinda a tradition for these kind of games." Nepgear explained. "For example, Razor from NFS Most Wanted 2005 and Frank Mercer from NFS Heat."
"Nepgear, who asked for your imput?" Neptune snapped. "Anyway, let's go."
With that said, the Planeptune sisters hopped into their cars and drove off to the Basilicom, preparing themselves for training the next day.
To be continued...