Sometimes it's necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly. - Edward Albee

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A group of men dressed as SWAT members, armed with numerous assault rifles, shotguns and submachine guns get themselves prepared to make an assault on a building. Their mission: secure a floor of the building and to capture a group of terrorists who may be hiding weapons in the building. In addition to that, they have taken a group of hostages. The terrorists have threatened to kill them off one by one, if their demands are not met. Negotiations failed to capture their attention, resulting in one of the hostages injured. This leaves them with only one choice; that is to storm into the building and rescue the hostages.

"Alright, weapons lock and loaded," the commander said through the radio to the members of the group. "Let us start with the mission," he continued, giving the signal for the men to enter the floor of the building.

"Sniper, provide cover to us while we storm in," the commander radioed to a sniper, seemingly armed with a very familiar Heckler & Koch G3SG/1 rifle.

The sniper looks from the top of the building to the other building, and checks for potential targets. Within seconds, he starts firing single-fire shots through the sound-suppressed rifle, with spent bullet cases ejecting from the rifle.

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Chapter 21: Back in Business

-Chapter cover: showing the rear of a black Nissan Skyline 25GT-t sedan in a white background, focusing on the right light cluster with the '25GT-t' badge visible.-

"Wow Ko, you have like, sniped at least 5 of those goons in the simulated training just now?" someone putting down an M4A1 rifle and uncovering his face mask remarked to Choo Tin, who is wiping the rifle from the practice just now in the locker room. "Not bad for a beginner."

"Funny, I wish I would have joined you guys on the frontline jut now," Choo Tin, already changed to his Mahora school uniform, answered, while sweeping his now longer hair with a comb. "And Kazuo, you have like, saved most of the hostages without getting them killed," he continued, at the teenager called Kazuo.

"Hmmm…it's teamwork, plus skill, plus coordination," the other teenager said. "Get an M4 or an M16, and join us."

"Haha…yeah," Choo Tin laughed back. It was amusing that he managed to get over the accident that happened some time ago.

"So, driving practice?" Kazuo points back at Choo Tin, after got dressed in casuals.

Like Choo Tin, Shun and some others, Kazuo Nakamura is a student in Mahora Academy's boys' stream, although he is a 3rd year student in the senior high. He never liked having the younger students; especially the ones in MilResearch, to regard him as a senpai or anything that makes him feel superior to the others, instead treating all of them as equals. For some time, he has been some sort of 'squad leader' in mock missions done in the club, plus the mock mission just now, plus he have experience being in the Mahora Security Department, which takes charge of security around the school area, more so during the annual Mahora School Festival that is to be held towards the end of June next month. Choo Tin have considered going in, unless the mages have something for him to do that time.

"Heck, I got the ER34 like, yesterday?" Choo Tin expresses his shock at Kazuo's suggestion. He decided to buy the Skyline sedan the next day, after he have a look at the car wit Yuuna the other day.

Other than being a military hardware buff, Kazuo has a similar interest in cars like Choo Tin. His choice of hardware: a white Nissan Skyline GT-R (BNR32), the subject of envy of some of the guys in the school. The BNR32 generation was, by far, considered the definitive Skyline GT-R, one that famously dominated races to the point that it got notoriously banned from some touring car championships. It also led to the creation of the Japan GT Championship, where race versions of mostly Japanese cars twisted to the almost extremes take the grid.

"Dude, you need to get a hang of FRs," Kazuo replied back. "My VQ-powered R32 demonstrates that point."

Despite being a GT-R, Kazuo's car is not powered by the legendary RB26DETT that usually comes in every Skyline GT-R that rolls out of the factory since the introduction of the BNR32, until the last of the special edition BNR34 Skyline GT-R V-Spec Nürs were brought out of the factory to signal the end of an era. It is instead powered by a VQ35DE that comes from the Z33 350Z, Nissan's new flagship car. Tuners have only recently take notice of the potential of the engine, despite having existed for about 10 years in other forms. The VQ35DE is a normally aspirated engine capable of about 280PS, more or less the same like most Japanese sports cars, despite having a reputation of being more fun to drive compared to sometimes even more expensive coupes. Attempts to use graft the ATTESA 4WD system into his GT-R resulted in failure, turning the car into a pure rear-driven car through locking the gearbox. That alone makes the GT-R special in it's own right. Kazuo quoted the car at about 300PS to the rear wheels through some minor bolt-ons.

"…just go slow on me at Tuchi, freaking landslide still haven't been fixed there."

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"…did you see the BNR34 just now?" Kazuo talked to Choo Tin with their cars parked at one side of the road, with their 'give way' lights flashing. Choo Tin's Skyline sedan remained as it is, but already comes with Koni suspension and 325PS via a Blitz air filter, Blitz exhaust, and an A'PEXi intercooler, in addition to some other very minor modifications. Kazuo's stock-looking white GT-R wears expensive black 17" Nismo LM GT4s, and wears a lowered stance, in addition to a GReddy exhaust.

"I saw that. It freaked me out," Choo Tin expresses his surprise at the encounter just now. "Hard."

In mountain races, it is never advisable to drive anything as heavy as a GT-R. In fact, even a BNR32 like Kazuo's, which is smaller, and lighter than a BNR34, is considered heavy. It is mostly 'a 4WD turbo sedan', 'an FF hatch or a coupe', or 'something the size of a Silvia or RX7'. Something like a Skyline or Chaser is still acceptable, but it takes plenty of guts and skills to race one of these in the mountains. Their sheer size alone is already a major obstacle, what more the amount of wear the tire could face when speeding one of these down or up the mountains?

And the BNR34 they run into just now drifted right in front of their eyes. Something that would spell immediate crash if the person behind the wheel was someone who is not accustomed to handling one of these cars.

"That is a high-speed turn, no doubt, but…" Choo Tin continued with the encounter. "Wouldn't the weight of that affect the car greatly?"

"Ko, a GT-R is made of both speed and handling," Kazuo grins and wiggles a finger at Choo Tin, while leaning on the side of his GT-R. "If one knows how to use a GT-R's disadvantage to his advantage, then it will be trouble for the opponent."

"Trick number 1 of driving a Skyline-sized car: The size is your greatest enemy, yet it is your best friend at the same time. You just fishtailed all over the place just now. Makes me tired waiting just for you."

"Heck, like I bought that without realizing about that?" Choo Tin irked at Kazuo's comments. "I drive similarly sized car in the past, in case you know about it."

"Who can forget your Frankenstein Mitsu-clone with 4WD and plenty of win inside?" Kazuo grinned again at Choo Tin. "Hmmm…speaking of win, I heard you hit on some girl from 3-A of the girls' middle high days ago? And I heard you hit on another girl prior to that one."

Choo Tin immediately slapped his forehead. Hard. Somehow that classmate Yuuna was talking about must have seen us walking back together the other day or something. Or it is Makie being a loudmouth to that classmate of hers.

"Oh crap. I hit on 2 girls? You must be dreaming then," the other teenager replied coolly, rushing it off. "I know you like a harem ending, unfortunately, it does not apply to anyone us now, especially with that child sensei around there. Everyone basically fawned over him," he continued is a seemingly negative tone, as if to discourage Kazuo.

"Wait, you mean that crapped out kid that knows magic like a pro?" Kazuo immediately states his seemingly obvious distaste for Negi, based on his tone.

"Wait, wait. Did you just mention 'crapped out kid that knows magic like a pro'?" Choo Tin opened his eyes wide upon hearing this. "…why the heck you are telling me that? It is as if I know anything about it."

"Dude, don't hide anything from me," Kazuo turned his head from the scenery to Choo Tin. "You have something to do with the mages don't you?"

"The…heck?"

"Hey, I'm one of them," Kazuo flashes thumbs up at Choo Tin. "Proof? This," he continued, while using a finger of his other hand to light up a small flame. There is simply no room for weird tricks here, since both hands are in fact, doing something.

"Poof," he said, blowing the small flame away. "I'm knew about this through some of the mages within the Academy though."

"…great. Kazuo, you just won the conversation," Choo Tin sweat-dropped at what happened. "Don't you worried about anyone looking?"

"Not exactly. The biggest winner is that kid, word is that he have already formed contracts with 4 of his students through…kissing," he said, sending a chill up both he and Choo Tin's spine. "I decided to keep quiet about it right now, since he was able to make the vampire's big mouth shut from what I hear. Plus, the Principal's granddaughter is one of his Ministra Magis too. Heard that from the reporter gal from 3-A in the school newspaper when I confronted her about it when she accidentally blurted it out in front of me when we worked on the article once. Your roommate didn't hear about it."

Phew…Choo Tin expresses his relief, and looked at Kazuo…slyly.

"You are hitting on someone from 3-A, right?" Choo Tin flashed a rather evil grin this time.

"Not really, although she has proven to be a reliable source of information regarding that kid," Kazuo replied back in a serious tone. "But sometimes I can't stand her being crazy all the time."

"If you can, avoid Asakura Kazumi at all costs."

"Point taken," Choo Tin listened carefully to Kazuo on whom to avoid from right now.

Suddenly Kazuo's phone rang. He immediately picks it up and listens to it.

"Kazuo, is that you on the touge just now? With that ER34 sedan?" the voice from the phone asks. Whoever called must have seen them up in Tuchizaka just now.

And it goes down to the BNR34 Skyline GT-R just now.

"Oh crap, it must have been you Tashiaki-sama in the GT-R just now," Kazuo replied back in an irked tone.

"Hell yeah," the person known as Tashiki answered. "Come to RSTF to see that am I up to," he added, before finishing with one last line. "I want to have a meeting with you guys soon. Bring your ER34 driving friend along."

"What the heck," Kazuo said.

"Who's that?" Choo Tin, confused, asked Kazuo.

"Well, he is someone who is going to feed our craze for more Pferdestärke in our cars," Kazuo smiled and look at his GT-R. "Follow me, I'll introduce someone to you in the workshop I go at. RSTF, the home of Nissan modifications in Mahora."

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"You sure you want to go for a 3037S in this?" Ken asks Shun in the GD workshop, looking at Shun's Toyota Chaser. Its front hood has been removed from the car, exposing the delicate engine work that goes into the engine bay. "I can't guarantee much, but you are in fact targeting about 400PS from the 1JZ-GTE after this."

"Just do it," Shun replied in a very serious tone to Ken. "And in addition to the list of modifications I ask you to carry out, give this car a white paint job and a full Vertex kit."

"Don't worry about the cash, I got it."

"This will bring the car up against the big boys."

"I have no one to worry about, only the competition and some potential threats from others."

Must prepare this for the mission during the Festival.

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As the 2 Nissans are about to go on the way to return to Mahora from the beginning of the Tuchizaka mountain route, 2 white cars suddenly showed up on the opposite site of the road.

The 2 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions that caused Choo Tin to crash the other day. He remembered the spoiler-less Evo VI TME very well, and the white Evo V RS too.

I think this must be my lucky day.

Without warning, Choo Tin immediately performed an emergency U-turn behind Kazuo's BNR32 GT-R. This caught Kazuo off guard, causing him to perform a similar maneuver to chase after Choo Tin.

"What the heck that Ko is doing?" Kazuo mutters to himself, as he begins to drive even more quickly.

As the Skyline sedan, got right behind the 2 Lancer Evolutions, it proceeds to flash its headlights at the 2 cars.

I will finish this up by today. Right here, right now.

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Notes: A vey quick update (never expect it in the first place >. ) with the new layout in place. From now on, each chapter will have a chapter cover, featuring anything and everthing.

And the circle of teenage mages in Mahora is slowly showing up...

In addition to that, it is very obvious who is the people driving the 2 Mitsubishis by now.