s the night deepened, the Base swelled with restless anticipation. The cold mountain air hung heavy with the mingled scents of scorched rubber, warm engine oil, and the faint tang of coolant. Conversations were hushed but urgent, clipped syllables bouncing off the concrete as crews huddled together, eyes constantly darting toward the road. In the distance, engines growled like restless beasts, their resonance carving through the stillness and rolling down the pass like thunder.
Then—headlights.
From around the final bend, two cars emerged from the darkness. Leading was the angular silhouette of the Lancia 037, its squared-off haunches and rally-born proportions catching and reflecting the amber glow of the floodlights. The exhaust sputtered gently as it rolled to a halt beside Collei's AE86. The engine idled low, almost like a feral animal panting after a hard chase, then coughed once before Clorinde twisted the key and killed it.
A few car-lengths behind, Firefly's FD RX-7 glided in with much less bravado. Its low, curvaceous frame carried none of the Lancia's nervous twitch; instead, it moved like a dancer bowing out after the final act—graceful, but spent. It eased into the spot beside Kazuha's Altezza, the twin-rotor Wankel finally spinning down into silence.
Inside the FD, Firefly sat still as stone, slouched against her bucket seat. Her fingers had gone slack around the suede-wrapped wheel, her shoulders rising and falling with each exhausted breath. Her bangs clung to her forehead, damp with sweat despite the frigid air outside.
Kazuha stepped forward slowly, boots crunching against scattered gravel. He leaned down and peered through the driver's side window, his usually calm gaze softened by concern. Firefly didn't even look up.
She looked wrecked. Not broken—but undeniably drained.
On the other side of the Base, Clorinde had already unbuckled. She shoved open the Lancia's lightweight door, and a blast of alpine wind rushed into the cabin. She stepped out, her boots hitting the pavement with a muted thud, and stood motionless as her breath fogged in the cold.
"I actually can't believe I pulled that shit off," she muttered under her breath, voice low and raw.
Bracing herself against the roof of the Lancia with one arm, she let her head hang. Sweat clung to the back of her neck, her jacket clinging to her back. "Started the race with a half-assed setup… throttle felt like a hair trigger. I was fighting the damn car the whole way down… until I remembered what Ning said. After that, it was like night and day. Blipping mid-corner—tamed the whole chassis."
Keqing stepped forward from the shadows, arms folded. She offered a single approving nod, eyes sharp. "You realized the adjustment mid-run. That's more important than having the perfect setup to start with."
Ningguang followed, every step deliberate and authoritative. The air shifted as she spoke, her voice slicing clean through the ambient murmurs. "Don't get cocky just because you crossed the line first. Senna's throttle technique isn't something you dabble in once and call it mastered. You're nowhere near the point where it's instinctual."
Clorinde straightened up and turned, eyes meeting Ningguang's without flinching. A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I know. I'm not blowing smoke. I'll drill it. When I'm back at Yougou, it's throttle blips or nothing."
A few paces away, Firefly finally moved. With deliberate effort, she pushed open the FD's door. The hinges groaned slightly from the heat stress of the run. She stepped out slowly, arms limp at her sides, head bowed like a fighter walking out of the ring.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, barely loud enough to cut through the ambient noise. "I pushed it as hard as I could."
Kazuha approached and placed a firm, steady hand on her shoulder. His voice carried the weight of reassurance. "No need to apologize. You gave us a hell of a run."
She nodded once, but the defeat clung to her like mist. Her shoulders slumped, pride bruised but not shattered.
"There's nothing wrong with losing," Kazuha continued, voice unwavering. "You learn more when you're chasing than when you're leading. Honestly… I thought Clorinde's car would get chewed alive on the straightaways. I didn't expect the Lancia to stick so well in the corners. Lighter chassis, no extra bullshit. I underestimated that."
His eyes slid across the paddock and landed on Collei's AE86. The hatchback sat calmly under the lights, its black-and-white two-tone paint gleaming faintly in the cold night air. It wasn't flashy—didn't have the aggressive cut of the FD or the raw sharpness of the Lancia. But there was something about it. Something quiet. Poised.
Collei stood beside it, head slightly tilted as she listened to Albedo rattle off last-minute checks under the open hood.
"…but I still have my chance," Kazuha muttered. "That Eight-Six… that's the one I want."
Albedo's movements were precise and mechanical, every motion practiced. The metallic click of wrenches and socket drivers echoed around the Base. Collei remained silent, eyes tracing each movement, absorbing every word he said.
Keqing strode over and interrupted the quiet exchange. "You heard about the starting order?"
Collei turned, her expression stoic. "Yeah. I'm taking point."
Keqing's gaze flicked toward Albedo, a silent question. "Is it ready?"
Albedo straightened up and let the hood close with a satisfying thunk. "She's good to go," he confirmed.
Keqing gave a curt nod. "Then I'll let them know we're ready."
Collei climbed into the AE86, pulling the door shut with a solid thud. The harness clicked tight around her shoulders. A moment later, the engine turned over with a sharp bark before settling into a clean, smooth idle—mechanical, efficient, ready.
Keqing turned toward the rest of the Base, her voice sharp and commanding. "All drivers to the starting line!"
The mood shifted instantly. Conversations stopped. Eyes turned.
Kazuha stepped into his Altezza, slipping behind the wheel with practiced ease. The key turned, and the inline-four came to life with a low, burly growl—the resonance of the 3S-GE echoing off the walls of the nearby buildings, louder and angrier than Collei's high-revving four-cylinder hum.
Both cars backed out in tandem, their silhouettes slicing through the darkness like dueling blades. They glided through the intersection and rolled up to the start line, side by side, where Keqing waited with arms crossed, her figure lit by twin beams of white light.
The air felt like it could snap from the tension.
As the countdown loomed, Kokomi stepped up to Kazuha's side, her voice even but edged with steel. "Stay calm. Analyze everything."
Kazuha smirked, a little too sure of himself. "I always do."
But inside, his brain ran hot. I'm not going to pass her on the first run. Doesn't matter. I just need to keep her close—watch her lines, her braking zones. How early she turns in. I'll put it all together for the second round.
Over at the AE86, Ningguang leaned down to Collei's window. Her voice was low and biting. "Don't leave him in the dust right away. Let him chase. Give him a taste."
Collei turned toward her slightly.
"Once you hit the first tight hairpin," Ningguang continued, eyes gleaming, "that's when you rip it. Make him choke on your exhaust."
Collei didn't reply. Her only answer was the sharp flick of her right hand onto the shifter, fingers tightening into a firm grip.
The AE86's engine note jumped a few hundred RPM.
The duel was seconds away. And the mountain was waiting.
Collei nodded once, a quiet intensity burning in her eyes as her fingers curled tighter around the worn leather of the steering wheel. The cabin of the AE86 was dim, illuminated only by the faint orange glow of the instrument cluster. Her heart pounded in rhythm with the tachometer's faint twitch. Outside, the air held a charged stillness. Keqing's boots scraped softly against the pavement as she took her position in front of the two cars.
She raised one arm, fingers splayed. Her voice rang out across the base like a starting pistol.
"FIVE!"
Collei took a deep breath through her nose. Her foot hovered over the clutch.
"FOUR!"
Kazuha's gaze locked straight ahead. His knuckles whitened on the Altezza's wheel.
"THREE!"
The Altezza's engine snarled, idling high. Collei heel-toed twice, the revs flaring and falling.
"TWO!"
Rubber screamed softly beneath both cars as clutches bit in anticipation.
"ONE!"
"GO!"
Keqing's hand sliced the air.
Both cars launched.
Tires shrieked, smoke erupted, and the AE86 and Altezza shot off the line in twin streaks of motion, the sudden howl of tuned four-cylinders ripping through the mountain silence like a blade. Their tail lights faded into the dark forested tunnel ahead, swallowed by the shadows of the mountain.
Farther along the pass, parked neatly under the spill of a dim lamp, a white AE86 Levin idled silently. Its driver leaned against the hood, arms crossed, wind teasing her pale white hair. Her eyes fixed on the glowing pinpricks of headlights cutting through the trees.
"Whoa, I'm surprised to see you here, Ayaka," said a nearby spectator, brows raised. "Didn't think you came out to watch much anymore."
Ayaka didn't glance away. A quiet smirk tugged at her lips. "Of course I'm here. Team Speed Stars' ace is on the hill tonight. I couldn't pass up seeing how Collei's grown since we crossed paths last year."
Back at the Base, the tension had mellowed to a steady hum. A low monitor glow flickered across Clorinde's face as she leaned back against the flared fender of her Lancia 037. Her arms were crossed over her chest, eyes watching the telemetry feed as it displayed the race's start.
Ganyu wandered over, clutching her stomach with a pitiful expression. "Clorinde, do we have any snacks? I'm starving…"
Clorinde barely looked up. "Van Two. Top-left duffel bag. Should be some chips left."
Ganyu lit up instantly. "Lifesaver!" She jogged toward the HiAce, sliding open the side door with a metallic thunk and rummaging through the gear until she found a rustling snack bag.
Meanwhile, Firefly stepped up, her pace hesitant but her voice firm. "Hey. Thanks for earlier… I mean it. I was in my head before the race. You helped pull me out of it."
Clorinde gave her a sideways glance, lips twitching into a crooked grin. "Don't mention it. And, uh… sorry if I came down hard on you. That wasn't really fair."
Firefly waved her hand awkwardly, cheeks pink. "No, really! You weren't that hard on me. I'm just, you know, glad you care."
She turned and walked off with a little too much spring in her step. Clorinde watched her go, an eyebrow raised. She scratched at the back of her head. "Is it just me… or does she light up like a firecracker every time she talks to me?"
From behind the van, Ganyu peeked around the corner, munching on chips. "Awkward…"
On the course, the battle had reached its first major engagement. The AE86 led with surgical poise, its brake lights glowing briefly before each turn, then vanishing as the car flowed through the bends like water carving stone. Kazuha's Altezza chased in the dark, its HID beams throwing wild shadows across the guardrails.
Inside the cockpit, Kazuha's eyes never left the AE86. "Her line's perfect. Every apex. But it's not just clean—it's aggressive. Risky."
The Altezza's 3S-GE engine snarled past 8000 RPM as he shifted into fourth, the gear change a sharp metallic click-clack followed by a deep surge of power.
Ahead, Collei kept her foot down, the Silvertop 4A-GE howling as it crept toward the redline. Her eyes flicked to the tach: 9200 RPM. Clutch in, lever slammed from third to fourth. The needle dropped, then climbed again as the rear tires bit into the road with renewed force.
They tore through a high-speed left-hander, suspension compressing violently. The AE86 danced over the cambered edge of the inside line, razor-close to the white guardrail.
Then—the first tight hairpin loomed.
Collei's eyes narrowed.
Now.
Right foot to brake, left foot already clutching. She rolled off the throttle into a brutal heel-and-toe downshift—fourth to third—blip—second. The AE86 pitched forward as she initiated trail braking, loading the front tires as she rotated in, using every ounce of grip the lightweight chassis could give her. The rear snapped ever so slightly out of line—just enough to help her nose in.
Kazuha reacted too late.
He stomped the brakes too hard, momentarily locking the inside front tire. The Altezza lurched slightly, ABS chattering. He recovered with a deft flick of the wheel, correcting mid-slide—but the damage was done.
By the time he exited the turn, the AE86 was already a speck ahead.
Six car lengths. Then eight. Then ten.
Corner after corner, Collei's rhythm became unstoppable. The AE86 weaved through the mountain like it was born there, a specter in the trees.
Minutes later...
At the top of the course, Kazuha coasted to a stop near Ayaka. He stepped out, running a hand through his hair, his breath forming mist in the cold air. Ayaka smirked at him.
"So?" she asked. "How does it feel to race our downhill ace?"
He chuckled, not unkindly. "She's something else. Her control, her balance… I don't know. She's got it."
"She's evolved," Ayaka replied, eyes still watching the forest. "When I raced her last year, she was still raw. Quick, but not refined. Now… now it's like she and the car are the same heartbeat."
Back at the starting line, Keqing raised her hand once more. "Collei! Time attack—start when ready!"
Collei revved the engine twice, then dropped the clutch. The AE86 lunged forward like it was starved for speed. Its engine note echoed off the hillsides, sharper, more alive than before.
She carved through the first and second corners like a scalpel through paper.
By the time she flew past Ayaka and Kazuha again, the AE86 was screaming near top speed, exhaust crackling like thunder. Ayaka's eyes went wide.
"She's faster. Way faster than last year."
Kazuha nodded, watching her tail lights vanish again. "No kidding. You were still in high school then, right?"
Ayaka smiled faintly. "Yeah. I've graduated since. But watching her now… it's like watching someone become legend."
By the time the night ended, Team Speed Stars had notched two more victories and a new track record. The AE86 rolled into the Base as quietly as it had left, its driver emerging with barely a word. But every eye followed her.
The legend of Mount Yougou's phantom Eight-Six was growing—and tonight, it roared.