Two Days Later
It was just another slow-burn afternoon at the gas station. The kind where the golden sunlight stretched long and lazy across the cracked pavement, heat shimmering off the hood of parked cars and casting elongated shadows that reached like fingers across the lot.
Collei and March moved in perfect lockstep—wiping down windshields, checking oil levels, ringing up snacks for regulars. The kind of routine that became muscle memory when you'd done it long enough. Collei's body worked on autopilot, but her mind wasn't all there. Not after Amakane. Not after that run.
Off to the side, gathered near a stack of old tires and leaning against the sunbaked wall of the building, Beidou, Lyney, Seele, and Amber were deep in conversation. The excitement from Collei's win hadn't faded. If anything, it had aged like gasoline fumes—sharp, heady, and lingering in the back of everyone's minds.
Beidou stood with arms crossed, her expression unreadable but her voice solid, edged with a rare respect. "At this point, we've gotta admit it. Collei's not just lucky. That girl's got technique. And not just Yougou Pass technique. I mean the kind of skill that translates—she could go out to Hakone, Akagi, fucking Irohazaka, and still hold her own."
Lyney tapped his knuckles on the weathered countertop, nodding slowly. "It's more than that," he murmured. "That control, that commitment in the corners—she's not just some kid mimicking lines. She's reading the road. Like she's having a conversation with it."
Amber blew out a breath, her hands on her hips as she looked toward the Eight-Six parked under the awning. The black-and-white machine sat quiet now, resting. But they all knew what it was capable of.
"She's outdriving people with twice the horsepower and ten times the parts budget," Amber said with a soft, almost reverent laugh. "Still can't wrap my head around it."
Just then, Collei finished up with a customer, gave a quick nod, and sent the car rolling out with a low wave. She barely had time to turn back toward the kiosk when she caught the low hum of another engine—subtle, steady, and unfamiliar.
A silver van rolled into the lot, windows tinted, body clean. The delivery driver didn't even kill the engine. He stepped out, moved quickly, and in his hands—a bouquet of blood-red roses.
Without a word, he shoved them into Lyney's arms, turned back, and peeled out with the kind of efficiency that screamed mission complete.
Everyone blinked.
Lyney held the bouquet like it might explode. "The hell—" he muttered. Then something caught his fingers—a folded square of crisp paper tucked between the stems. He opened it, eyes scanning quickly before looking straight at Collei with a raised eyebrow and the ghost of a grin.
"These are for you, kid."
Collei's brows pinched. "Wait, what? From who?"
Lyney held out the note. "The Tianquan. Ningguang."
That name landed like a dropped wrench. You didn't just say it. You felt it.
Collei hesitated before taking the note, her fingers brushing the page like it might sting. She opened it. Her green eyes skimmed the lines once, then again. Her lips parted, but her voice was barely a whisper.
"No way…"
Seele leaned in, her curiosity immediate. "Let me see."
She read over Collei's shoulder, then stepped back, her expression sharpening with sudden seriousness.
"It says: 'Ten o'clock on Saturday. At the top of Yougou.'"
A dead silence swallowed the lot.
Beidou let out a sharp breath, eyes narrowing. "So it's official. The Tianquan just issued a direct challenge."
Amber stepped back, hands clasping the sides of her head. "The fastest racer in all of Narukami Prefecture…" Her voice cracked, somewhere between awe and disbelief.
The flowers, the note, the subtle flex of power—it wasn't just a challenge.
It was summons.
And Yougou Pass had just become the stage for something bigger than any of them had dared to imagine.
That Night – Base of Araumi
The mountain air was crisp, cool, and filled with the rhythmic snarl of engines pushing steel and rubber to their limits. A midnight-purple RX-7 FC came alive on the descent, its rotary howl echoing off the rocky cliffs and leafy trees as the car danced across the tight lines of the mountain road.
Each downshift was surgical. Heel-and-toe input flawless. The FC bit into the corners with perfect weight balance, rear tires whispering just shy of breakaway traction. Behind it, a sky-blue Honda S2000 charged in pursuit, the VTEC-fueled howl of its F20C engine rising and falling like a song of war.
The road wasn't wide enough for ego. It demanded discipline. Respect. But both drivers rode that knife's edge with total control.
At the rest area overlooking the big chicane, a cluster of local night owls had gathered—diehards, tuners, and late-night thrill-seekers.
"Keqing's insane," someone whispered, eyes glued to the RX-7's taillights. "She's getting faster. Like, noticeably. Every goddamn run."
"Yeah, and Ganyu's right on her ass. That S2K isn't just for show."
Someone else crossed their arms, nodding. "Ganyu's been training with her non-stop. Keqing's got her stepping up fast. Real fast."
The cars reached the bottom, brake lights glowing in near unison before both rolled into the lot and hissed to a stop. Ganyu climbed out, pulling off her gloves slowly. Her breathing was calm, but her eyes betrayed the fire still lit inside her.
"Keqing?" she said, tone tentative. "Why don't we bring the Eight-Six here? Let her run on our turf."
Keqing leaned against the door of her FC, arms folded, one boot heel hooked on the curb. Her expression was calm. Cold. Calculated.
"Araumi's our territory. Always has been." Her eyes flicked to the skyline, then back to Ganyu. "If we lose here, we lose more than a race. We lose face. And Ningguang doesn't play games with her reputation."
She took a sip from her water bottle, then spoke again, low and clipped. "Besides… Yougou's the theater she chose. And Ningguang always writes her own script."
Ganyu frowned. "Then… what if I challenge the Eight-Six?"
Keqing shook her head before the words even fully landed. "That's not your place." Her voice wasn't angry—just final. "Leave this one to us. We've got an uphill at Jinren Pass tomorrow with Yelan. That's your focus."
She placed a hand on Ganyu's shoulder—firm, but not unkind. Then she turned, slid back into the FC, and pulled the door shut.
With a muted growl, the RX-7 pulled away, taillights fading into the dark.
Ganyu watched her go, unmoving. But her mind was spinning.
Then I'll find somewhere else, she thought. Somewhere that isn't Yougou. Somewhere she won't see it coming.
She clenched her fists. "I'll find my own road," she muttered. "And I'll prove I deserve to drive with the best of them."
The Following Morning – Arlecchino's Home
The AE86 rolled into the gravel driveway with a soft growl, its engine ticking as it cooled in the fresh morning air. Dew clung to the grass, and the rising sun painted the landscape with muted warmth.
Collei stepped out, stretching her arms with a yawn. Her body was tired, but her mind buzzed with questions. There was no escaping the words on that note. No pretending it hadn't happened.
Inside, the scent of strong coffee and fried eggs welcomed her like clockwork.
At the table, Arlecchino sat with her usual calm—legs crossed, black coffee in one hand, newspaper in the other. She glanced up, eyes narrowing with something like approval.
"Welcome back, kid. Breakfast's hot."
Collei hovered in the doorway, chewing her bottom lip. "Hey… Dad?"
Arlecchino set her cup down, gesturing to the chair beside her. "Talk to me."
Collei sat slowly, fingers interlocked in front of her. "That race with Eula… I thought it'd feel different. Like, completely different. But halfway through, something clicked."
She mimed turning the wheel, heel-tapping the floor with an invisible pedal. "Amakane felt like Yougou. Not exactly, but close. It was like I'd carried it with me, you know?"
Arlecchino studied her for a beat, then smiled—not the big, showy kind, but the subtle twitch of someone seeing the answer fall into place.
"That's because you did carry it. What you learned on Yougou isn't tied to one mountain. It's in you. Every apex you memorized, every shift you timed—hell, even the weight transfer in your gut—it's all coming with you, wherever you race."
Collei sat in thought, the gears turning behind her eyes. Then—finally—she stood.
"I get it now. Thanks, Father."
Arlecchino smirked into her coffee. "Good. Now sit your ass down and eat before it gets cold."
That Night – Jinren Pass
The sharp smell of damp asphalt hung in the mountain air like tension before a brawl. Far above the sleepy towns below, Jinren Pass had become something else tonight—less a road and more a crucible. The hairpin-heavy route twisted upward into the clouds, cutting through dense forest and fading visibility. The headlights of parked cars formed a broken constellation, tracing along the guardrails and shoulders of the mountain road. Smoke from cigarette tips and grill fires floated through the crowd. Someone revved an engine in the distance—a challenge? No. Just nerves.
Beidou's S13 rumbled into one of the wider pull-offs, its exhaust crackling as it cooled. Seele's S30Z coasted in behind her, the loping idle of the L-series motor joining the low chorus of machines gathering at the peak. Pela and Amber arrived shortly after, the Sileighty's high-strung note blending into the mechanical symphony. All four stepped out, eyes scanning the overlook like soldiers entering enemy territory.
Amber leaned on the guardrail, brushing back a damp lock of hair as the wind picked up. "Damn," she muttered, her voice nearly lost under the hum of generators and scattered voices. "They weren't kidding—this place is packed."
Spectators lined the roadway in clumps, huddled in rain jackets and under umbrellas. Some sat on their hoods, sipping canned coffee or hot tea from vending machines. Others jostled for position near the start line, cell phones out, eyes peeled for the showdown they'd heard about for weeks.
Seele adjusted the fit of her hoodie, peering through the mist rolling down the road. "I don't see them. Where's Collei and March?"
Amber frowned, checking her phone—no signal. "Maybe they got lost. Or stuck in traffic."
Meanwhile – A Nearby Intersection
Inside the AE86, Collei's thumbs flew across her phone screen. The old flip-case dangled off her wrist, and her brow furrowed in frustration. The navigation app stuttered—still loading the next turn.
March was slumped in the passenger seat, arms folded, staring daggers through the windshield. "This is so dumb. This mountain's like the Bermuda Triangle for GPS."
Collei exhaled through her nose. "It's fine. I've almost got it."
The screen refreshed at last, a jittery map rendering in pixelated chunks. Collei's eyes sharpened as she traced the path. "Left turn, here."
March jerked upright. "You sure?"
Collei didn't answer. She dropped the phone in the cupholder, clicked the blinker, and downshifted. The AE86 surged forward with that familiar induction growl, the tires gripping through the damp corner as the car dove into a tight left, climbing toward Jinren's summit with new urgency.
Thunder cracked somewhere above, echoing across the ridges. Lightning followed, flashing behind the treetops and throwing brief white light across the damp road.
March gripped the door handle, her expression somewhere between nervous and thrilled. "Well, this is definitely more dramatic than I expected."
Collei's eyes narrowed, her voice low. "Storm's coming. So's the race."
At the Parking Area – Jinren Pass
At the peak, the two queens of the mountain were already in place.
Keqing stood beside her RX-7 FC, arms crossed over her chest, the wind tugging at her coat. The rotary purred at idle behind her, muffled slightly by the thick, damp air. Her expression was unreadable—cool, patient, razor-edged. She wasn't here to prove herself. She was here to enforce.
Moments later, the roar of a flat-six echoed between the trees. Yelan's Porsche 930—Blackbird—burst out of the fog like a predator emerging from the jungle. Its widebody silhouette was unmistakable, even through the gloom. She swung it into the parking lot with the kind of casual menace that made the crowd step back instinctively.
She cut the engine. The sound died suddenly, like a gunshot silenced. Yelan stepped out, rain beading on her jacket, eyes sharp beneath her fringe.
"You're late," she said flatly, tossing a half-smirk at Keqing.
Keqing didn't flinch. "Main characters always show up last."
The two locked eyes for a second, not as rivals—but as professionals about to conduct business. The wind surged again, pulling mist over the pass like a curtain.
Keqing glanced skyward. "Rain's coming."
Yelan nodded, unbothered. "Good. I like it slippery."
Keqing's lips twitched into a subtle smile. "Detuned that monster yet? Or are we going for round two of disaster?"
"Dropped her down to 400 horses," Yelan said, brushing her sleeve. "Better tires, too. I'm not making the same mistake twice."
Their standoff was interrupted by the sound of something different. Not angry, not flashy—but precise. Mechanical. Purposeful.
From the lower road came a set of headlights, soft-white and steady. The unmistakable growl of the AE86 filled the air like a ghost returning home.
The Eight-Six crested the bend and rolled into the lot, water hissing beneath its tires as Collei brought it to a slow, smooth stop beside Amber's Sileighty. The door opened. Collei stepped out, rain dotting her hoodie, her posture relaxed but ready.
"Hey, everyone," she called out, brushing a damp strand of hair from her eyes.
Beidou let out a low whistle. "Look who finally made it."
Seele gave her a nod. "Good timing. They're just about ready to start."
March exited the passenger side with a groan, stretching her legs. "This mountain's a mess. You'd think they'd at least put up some signs."
Amber turned to Collei, grinning. "How's it feel? Seeing it up close?"
Collei studied the road's contour, her eyes reading the incline, the curve radii, the guardrail spacing. "Wide entries. Fast exits. Lots of room to carry speed. You make one mistake here though, and the momentum works against you."
Amber raised an eyebrow. "So… if you were racing tonight?"
Collei shrugged. "Ask me afterward."
At the Start Line
Down at the official start point, Silver Wolf stood in the middle of the road, one hand gripping a soaked clipboard, the other raised high. She wore her usual hoodie over a rain jacket, nonchalant as always despite the rising wind.
Yelan rolled to the line first, one tire chirping as she straightened out. Keqing followed moments later, her FC idling like a panther behind bars.
Silverwolf nodded to the corner marshal. "Everything clear?"
"All clear," the man called out, stepping back with a thumbs up.
The sky rumbled again. The crowd leaned forward.
Silverwolf raised her arm.
"This is it," Amber whispered.
Rain began to fall in earnest.
Silverwolf dropped her hand.
The night ignited.
The Blackbird and the FC launched off the line in perfect sync, tires biting into the wet tarmac as two monsters stormed Jinren's upper slope. Taillights vanished into fog. Thunder rolled behind them.
And just like that—
The uphill war began.