Chapter 2
54.
Digital art, also known as Digi art, is the new way of expressing the creativity of the Kemis. From sketches in Riverania to paintings in Kemitopia to Digi art in Zenshin. The artwork is not tangible since it's usually presented holographically, just like the posters on the dock. It also can be easily transported across the technologies in Zenshin, creating a platform where everyone can immediately see and appreciate the artwork.
As the group walked towards the exhibit, lots of holographic displays showcasing different Digi art made by other Kemis. Tons of the artworks are inspired by the Racing Queen, making her the main subject of each piece.
"I must say that Catgirl is quite popular in this land," Hana commented.
"She is so cool!" Lulu replied.
"Well, I think she deserves it. She gives a lasting impression, to be honest." Yuna responded.
"Not to mention, she's tall! It's hard to not notice such a Kemi." Kita said. "Anyway, is the Runecrystal glowing?" She added.
"I've been secretly checking it and so far it does not," Yuna answered.
"Speaking of secretly, what if we use a codename for that? I mean we still don't know how this land views the Runecrystal." Hana recommended.
"That's a good idea, let's think of one!" Kita replied.
"Rue!" Lulu suggested.
"Rue? Is there a reason behind it?" Yuna asked.
"Ahm…. It sounds cute?" Lulu answered.
"Chuuu~ It does sound cute, plus less obvious." Pily supported the suggestion.
"I don't mind whatever we will call it, as long as it helps," Hana responded.
"I like Rue, it's easy to remember," Kita commented.
"I guess Rue it is," Yuna said.
"Nyatta~" Lulu and Pily happily reacted.
Walking through the place as they observe each Digi art on the exhibit, the group is indeed an eye-catcher to the public. Mainly because of their large backpacks, giving away a clue that they are travelers.
Eventually, the tutorial starts. The most famous artist on the land goes by the stage name Vali, who is the event presenter. She is an Antelopegirl Kemi, frequently changing her hairstyle by using wigs, coloring her horns to match her hair, and also wearing different colored contact lenses. In Zenshin, it's common to have artists that change their style according to their recent artwork. They call it Cosplay, a way of promotion. Right now, Vali is wearing a Short blue wig, light blue contact lenses, and her horns are dyed dark blue.
As the event started, the group's attention was caught by Vali's presence. The same thing can be said for the rest of the audience. The presentation begins and it is truly mesmerizing. It makes everyone believe that they can also pull off such a feat. The event is full of aspiring artists and the main subject is Motor Racing. That is the reason why most of the entries to the exhibit are inspired by the Racing Queen.
Hours passed by and the audience surely learned a lot from the tutorial, except for Kita's group. They were amazed by it but they did not grasp the techniques since they didn't know the basics. During the tutorial, Yuna consistently peeks through her pocket but the Runecrystal does not react. It seems like Kita won their bet once more.
"Looks like I lost again," Yuna said.
"Rue did not gloooow?" Lulu asked.
"Hai, we probably have nothing to do with Digi art," Yuna answered.
"Nyatta! It's time to look for the Racing Queen!" Kita said.
"But where do we start looking?" Hana questioned.
"Good question," Kita responded. It is her idea but Kita is clueless as well.
At that moment, a Rhinoman Kemi approached the group. Clean cut dark gray hair, black eyes, one short horn on the forehead, slim body type, and wearing a kimono style outfit.
"Greetings, my name is Hideo. I'm the head of the Motor Racing event," he said while wiggling his ears. The group wiggled their ears back to return the greetings.
"Sorry to interrupt but I heard you are looking for the Racing Queen," Hideo added.
"Ah, hai. We are indeed looking for her." Hana carefully answered.
"Do nyu know where she is?" Kita asked.
"Hai, I have all the records of our Racers. Do you want to know where she lives?" Hideo replied.
"Hai! Let's go now!" Kita responded.
"Wait, why do nyu suddenly want to help us?" Yuna questioned. She is quite skeptical about Hideo for unknown reasons.
"I noticed that you are visitors, new to this land. As of now, we need more Racers and your group gives me a free-spirited vibe. Trust me, I know a Racer when I see one. Maybe I can invite you to be part of our event when you meet the Racing Queen." Hideo answered as he gave his calling card.
"Oh… So that's why." Yuna commented.
"After all, we are in the entertainment industry, we always need new faces! So shall I take the lead?" Hideo offered once more.
"Let's gooo~" Lulu said while carrying Pily.
With the lead of Hideo, the group made their way toward the Racing Queen. They all get into Hideo's private car, and then immediately proceed to the tallest building in the city. A 15-story-high condo owned by Hideo, he is one of the richest Kemi in this region. A lot of Kemis live in those units and the Racers are living there for free, as long as they abide by the contract.
After a couple more minutes, they reached the condo. They go straight to the 8th floor where the Racing Queen lives. Hideo knocked on the door and it did not take long before someone responded. As soon as the door narrowly opened, Hideo greeted. "Greetings, I hope you are doing fine."
"What do nyu want?" Raven asked.
"I brought some visitors, I heard that they are looking for you," Hideo answered.
Raven fully opened the door, and she once again saw Kita's group. "Oh, nyu again?" She said.
"You already met them?" Hideo questioned.
"Yep, earlier, the reason why my motorcycle is at the mechanic's shop," Raven replied.
"Fascinating, it must be fate," Hideo responded.
"I already said that it's all good. Nyu can all go away now." Raven bluntly said to the group. She was about to close the door but Hideo blocked it.
"Hold on, they are here for more than that," Hideo says as he grins.
Raven deeply sighed and replied, "That is why I hate your face."
55.
This type of scenario is pretty much common for Raven. Being the most famous Racer on the land created an image that every Kemi idolized. Because of that, Hideo usually uses Raven to inspire and bring more young blood to the track.
"By the way they are… Kindly introduce yourselves, everyone," Hideo told the group.
"Halo, I'm Kita, sorry again about earlier! hehe…" Kita said as she chuckled.
"Hello, I'm Hana, sorry because of her." Hana followed.
"I'm Yuna, sorry as well, because of her." Yuna echoed Hana's introduction as she pointed at Kita.
"Anoo… I'm Lulu! I'm sorry for Kita… Wait, I jumbled my words." Lulu said.
"I think nyu said it perfectly," Hana replied.
"Oy!" Kita reacted madly.
"Chuuu~ and I'm Pily!" Pily added.
"I'm Raven, now get lost," Raven answered.
"Hey there, chill for a bit. Why not show them around, let's see if they can ride." Hideo said.
"Are nyu not listening? I just said that my motorcycle is at the mechanic's shop. They have to make sure that it's ready for the race this weekend." Raven replied.
"Don't worry about that, I have tons of motorcycles in my basement. Let's use those." Hideo told Raven.
Raven deeply sighed once more as she said, "Fine… Let me change clothes for a sec." She can no longer argue with Hideo.
Eventually, Hideo gets what he wants, and they all proceed to the condo's basement. When they reach their destination, lots of vehicles are parked in the vicinity. From 2 wheels and 3-wheeled motorcycles to stunning race cars. Only Hideo has access to this place.
"WOHOHOAH!" Kita excitedly reacted.
"Wow, nyu sure own a lot of vehicles," Yuna commented.
"Not only those, this whole condo is also his. Hideo is the richest Kemi in this region, but still the lamest. I'm sure the Head Developer of the Southern region is only using him as a glamorous design." Raven responded.
"I'll just take that as a compliment, thank you," Hideo replied.
"How can nyu have all of this? Nyu are like royalty at this point." Hana questioned.
"Oh royalty, I haven't heard that term for a long time. Let's just say half of this was inherited while the other half was the result of my hard work. Anyway, shall we get started?" Hideo answered.
"The little one cannot ride," Raven said, referring to Lulu.
"I think I'll stay with Lulu. I'm not a fan of those." Hana responded.
"Aight, suit yourself," Raven replied.
"Looks like we are going to race again. I'll beat nyu this time for sure!" Kita told Yuna.
"Ho ho ho, I'll wait for nyu at the finish line, Kitty." Yuna talked back.
"Now I can see why Hideo chose this group. Anyway, let's begin. Just choose any motorcycle, press the power up button, brakes on each side, you'll go faster if nyu pull the handle harder yada yada. You'll figure out everything in the process, just don't die." Raven instructed.
As they look at all of the designs, Kita chose the gold-plated motorcycle while Yuna picked the silver one. Raven usually prefers dark themes instead of flashy ones.
"Okay let's see what we have here," Kita said as she got on the motorcycle, imitating what Raven was doing.
"This is harder than it looks like," Yuna commented.
While Yuna is still trying to figure things out, Kita already pressed the ignition button.
"So this is the brakes… this is for going faster." Yuna is talking to herself. But on the other hand, Kita pulls the handle strongly, making her fly in that instant.
"Oy, be careful!" Yuna said as she also pressed the ignition button and started to ride.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Kita screamed while going full speed toward the wall.
"Now this is fun," Raven commented as she grabbed the remote from Hideo. As Kita approaches the wall, Raven uses the remote to open up the basement. The wall moves up and Kita goes straight to the main road.
"Kita!" Hana and Lulu worriedly shouted.
Raven smirks and throws back the remote. She then hops on her motorcycle to follow Kita and Yuna.
"Immediately to the car," Hideo told the rest.
The scenario escalated quickly as the group suddenly went into a City Race. At this point, it is more like a city pursuit because they have to catch up with Kita before something bad happens.
At first, Yuna is swaying on the road since it's her first time riding a motorcycle. But thanks to her skating experience, her balance is exceptional. Yuna eventually gets used to it. Meanwhile, "AAAAAAA!" That is Kita, still screaming while somehow miraculously dodging other vehicles on the road, not to mention, while going full speed.
Shortly, Raven managed to catch up with Kita. "Nyu have nerves of steel kitty!" Raven told Kita.
"I THINK I'M GONNA DIE!" Kita replied while still screaming.
"Lower your speed before hitting the brakes!" Raven shouted.
"I DON'T KNOW HOW!" Kita said. The same dilemma during her skating experience reoccurs, but this time it's way faster.
"Just stop pulling the handle! Roll it back slowly!" Raven shouted once more.
As Kita does what Raven says, her motorcycle is starting to slow down. It looks like it will go well from here but the problem is, Kita thinks that she is slow enough. With that said, Kita hit the brakes which sent her flying toward a pile of boxes in an alley. Raven stopped her motorcycle as Yuna arrived.
"Is she dead?" Raven asked.
"I don't think so. If nyu are used to falling, Kit is used to flying, even though she does not have wings…" Yuna replied as they both walked toward Kita.
"Are nyu alright?" Yuna asked Kita.
"Am I dead?" Kita responded.
"You probably have 6 or 5 lives left." Yuna kiddingly answered.
"Good thing these boxes do not have any sharp objects inside," Kita said while aching from her fall.
"How do nyu manage to dodge and turn on the road earlier?" Raven questioned.
"I legitimately don't know what I was doing… Instincts?" Kita replied as she stood up.
"And nyu?" Raven asked Yuna.
"Well, I'm a fast learner. Climbing trees is the only thing that I can't learn." Yuna answered.
"Interesting…" Raven commented.
Moments later, the rest of the group showed up.
"What did I miss?" Hideo immediately asked.
"Missed?" Raven replied as she laughed. "Nyu did not miss anything, nyu might even hit a jackpot on this one~" she added as she went back to her motorcycle.
"Hey Horn Boy, bring those girls to my place," Raven told Hideo, she immediately left afterward.
Hana and Lulu check if Kita is completely fine. That accident earlier caused some bruises to Kita but luckily no further injuries. To completely ensure that the bruises are not serious, Hana uses her talent to heal Kita's wounds while they are at the alley. Hideo saw a glimpse of what was happening but he chose to pretend that he did not see anything.
56.
When everything settled down, Hideo told everyone to get inside the car. His assistants will arrive soon, and they are the ones who will return the vehicles to the basement. After a short while, everyone is once again back where they came from. Upon arriving in front of Raven's door, Hideo left since he needed to check the motorcycles. Not to mention, he is not invited inside Raven's unit. Raven definitely hates Hideo's presence.
The group knocks on the door and Raven answers immediately. "Come in, just make yourselves comfortable," she said.
As they enter Raven's home, they notice that it's like a big room divided into more rooms. They cannot call it a house since it's inside a building. The interior design is quite dark, the lights are also dimmer, and every corner of the ceiling is decorated with LED strips.
"This is the first time I've seen… such a place…" Hana said.
"I think I can sleep anywhere here," Lulu commented.
"What are these?" Kita curiously asked. She's referring to the large glass cabinet containing lots of trophies.
"That's my trophy case. I get one whenever I win a race." Raven answered.
Yuna started counting the trophies. "Amazing, nyu already won 20 races," Yuna said.
"Nah, those are only the memorable ones. I already sold more than half of what I have. It sells well when I put an autograph on it." Raven answered.
"So how many races have nyu won?" Hana asked.
"Hmmm… Can't remember the exact number. All I know is I haven't lost since then." Raven said.
"Okay, I'm a fan now." Kita immediately responded.
"Anyway, so what brings nyu here?" Raven asked.
"Well, we are travelers," Hana answered.
"Nyu don't say." Raven sarcastically replied.
"We are indeed just traveling around. We just decided to look for nyu since we saw your poster on the dock, and eventually got interested in Motor Racing." Yuna added.
"I see, well, nyu can all crash at my place in the meantime. I'm sure that Horn Boy will offer nyu a unit in this building if nyu pursue Motor Racing. But I suggest that you don't sign a contract with him." Raven suggested.
"Why not?" Lulu asked.
"If nyu agree to his terms, nyu will be tied to whatever he wants nyu to do for promoting Motor Racing. Basically free place and food, but he has the right to control nyu. That's not advisable since nyu are travelers, nyu cannot just quit and leave if nyu sign a contract." Raven explained.
"That makes sense. But are nyu sure that we are free to stay here? We are quite a troublemaker, especially the blonde one." Yuna asked.
"OY!" Kita reacted madly.
"Of course, nyu give me a vibe that something will happen if I stick with nyu. Anyway, I'll be in my room, nyu all can sleep in the other one. Horn Boy is paying for my bills so don't worry about it." Raven said as she walked to her room.
The day is slowly coming to an end, luckily the group already ate something before going down from the ship. A lot of events happened, and this was actually the first time that things were de-escalating. The group began to chatter once more while lying on the bed.
"Even this bed is way bigger than what we had on the ship," Kita commented.
"I love it, it's comfy!" Lulu replied.
"I guess everything here is extreme. It's like there's no room for slowing down." Hana said.
"I suddenly feel tired now, maybe the adrenaline wears off," Yuna responded.
"Good thing Raven offered her place," Hana replied.
"Raven reminds me of Maiko," Lulu said.
"Why, because of their height? They are both tall after all." Kita asked.
"Maybe, I'm not sure," Lulu answered.
"A bit of an odd comparison since Maiko is a leader while Raven is more like a loose cannon. Though I can also see it, maybe because both of them are fearless." Yuna responded.
After a few minutes, Raven called everyone, "Dinner is here, let's eat!"
The group went back to the dining area and saw 3 flat boxes. "Where's the dinner? I'm not smelling anything…" Kita asked.
"It's in the box," Raven answered.
"These boxes?" Kita responded in doubt.
"Oh, nyu guys haven't tried pizza? This will be memorable!" Raven said as she immediately opened the first box. In that instant, they finally smell the aroma of the food. "Tada! Let's dig in!" She added.
In a place that never slows down, fast foods are the usual answer. Almost everything in this city can be made in an instant, something that the group has never experienced.
"THIS IS SO GOOD" Kita loudly said while eating pizza.
"I was skeptical at first but this is indeed good," Yuna added.
"I know right, that was also my first reaction when I had my first pizza. But I was like 7 that time." Raven replied.
"Who made this? Please tell them that it's good!" Lulu said.
"H..hai… It's the PizzaCat across the street. I'll give them feedback, sure." Raven confusedly replied.
"Anyway, I just want to clarify some things," Raven said while they were eating. "I had a conversation with Horn Boy and told him that these 2 kitties have potential. Just like what I expected, he wants to immediately form a contract with nyu. I told him he can't yada yada, and we came up with an agreement. He will let me do what I want but I'll be responsible for everyone here, and the two of nyu must participate in the race this coming weekend. How's that sound?" Raven asked as she discussed the circumstances.
"Hai, we agree with the terms." Hana immediately answered.
Kita and Yuna are both confused by the sudden answer of Hana, but they play along for now.
"Great, I'll be right back, I'll just call Horn Boy," Raven said as she went back to her room.
"Why did nyu agree?" Yuna whispered.
"We forgot to tell nyu earlier but while we were chasing nyu, Lulu's Rue glowed," Hana whispered back.
"It's true, Pily told me that it was glowing earlier. Pily holds Rue, good thing his fur can cover it all." Lulu added.
"I guess we are on the right track. But honestly, I have a bad feeling about this. Something is quite off…" Kita said.
"I feel uneasy as well…" Yuna agreed with Kita.
A few minutes passed and Raven came back. "The deal is done! Nyu guys should take some rest now. Tomorrow will be a busy day." She said.
End of Chapter 2