The desert winds howled across the makeshift campgrounds of Race Wars. Tents and trailers clustered like nomads of horsepower, each brimming with pride, chrome, and ambition. Engines revved. Tires squealed. Bet slips changed hands every few minutes.
Leonardo leaned against the shadowed side of a trailer, dressed in a sleeveless shirt, cargo pants, and dark shades that reflected the sun and hid his expression. His mind had been quiet lately—not from fatigue, but from the silence of the system.
Until now.
[System Reboot Complete – Core Version 2.0 Activated]
[Sign-In Accumulation Detected – 7 Days Missed]
[Compensatory Reward: Ownership of Private Arms Manufacturer – Aegis Tactical Solutions]
[Bonus Reward: Summon Ticket – (World-Linked Pull x1)]
[You have received a letter from The One Who Reincarnated You.]
Leonardo's pupils shrank behind his sunglasses. The system's return hit him like a shot of espresso—immediate, crisp, and layered with implications.
He stepped away from the camp toward his RV, entering with quick, measured steps. Once the door shut behind him, the interface projected in full.
He opened the message first.
[Hey kid. Hope you're still alive. Sorry about the delay—patching your system was harder than expected. Timeline stability's been holding well thanks to your caution. So here's a little thank you gift. That Summon Ticket? It's a wildcard. Use it wisely. And don't screw up the universe.]
Leonardo let out a breath that was half-chuckle, half-sigh. "Yeah... thanks, I guess."
He clicked the summon.
[World-Linked Summon Ticket – Activating...]
The room dimmed as the projection widened. Wind blew as if from another plane. Reality twisted.
And then—
A figure appeared in the center of the room. A young woman with snow-white hair, a devil-may-care smirk, and eyes like twin blue infernos. She wore a white coat draped over combat gear and carried the relaxed stance of someone who'd survived dozens of firefights without breaking a nail.
Koko Hekmatyar.
Leonardo immediately recognized her. Arms dealer, chaos agent, brilliant strategist from the anime Jormungand.
She opened her eyes and blinked once.
Then grinned.
"Oh... I like this place already."
[Summon Complete – Loyalty: High]
Leonardo cleared his throat. "Koko Hekmatyar, I presume."
"Oh, so you do know me. That saves time. So, Boss, what world did you drag me into this time?"
He motioned to the side wall where a small desk sat with newspaper clippings and blueprints of illegal street races, stolen electronics, and LAPD investigations.
"One where war is fought in engine blocks and loyalty."
She strolled over and leaned down to inspect the papers. Her smile widened.
"Delicious."
Outside, Race Wars had begun in full force. Jesse was prepping his Jetta. Letty was already making her rounds, winning heats, leaving skid marks and shattered egos in her wake. Vince and Leon were handling logistics.
Dom remained calm at the center. But the storm was near.
Leonardo and Koko stayed hidden from the main crowd. He introduced her to Alfred Stuart via encrypted satellite call—now also head of their new asset, Aegis Tactical Solutions. The arms company had international reach but operated in full secrecy. Leonardo had it hidden under layers of offshore shell corporations, accessible only through biometric encryption.
Koko was delighted.
"It's good to be back in business," she said, flipping through the dossiers Alfred uploaded.
Leonardo nodded, then glanced toward the window.
"Don't get too comfortable. Things are about to break."
The moment came just before sunset.
Jesse, in a fit of bravado and desperation, raced his Jetta against Johnny Tran's S2000. And lost. Badly.
Tran's men circled. Dom shouted. Tension exploded.
Jesse fled.
Leonardo stood among the crowd, unseen, letting events play out. He couldn't intervene—not yet. Brian was there, jaw tight, eyes wide. The guilt was killing him.
The canon held steady. And the system watched silently.
Koko, beside him now with a headset in one ear and sunglasses of her own, whispered, "You sure you don't want me to do something about the idiot who made your friend's kid run away?"
Leonardo shook his head. "Let it ride. The cracks are forming. We just have to be ready when they break."