The Speed Of The Stars

As the two RX-7s arrived at the summit of Yougou, a purple-haired girl stepped out of an RX-7 FD, and at the same time, a white-haired woman emerged from an older RX-7 FC. March immediately recognized both of them from an article in Inazuma Motorsports Illustrated, a popular motorsports website. She turned to Beidou, Seele, Pela, and Collei, eager to share the news.

"Those two are legends," March said, excited. "The driver of the Midnight Purple RX-7 FD is Keqing—known for her lightning-fast and precise driving, especially her throttle control. She's the second fastest on Mount Araumi.

The fastest driver in Araumi, though, is Ningguang, in the white RX-7 FC. She's also a beast in closed-circuit races, from sprints to gymkhana events."

Keqing then stepped up, flashing a confident smile as she introduced herself and Ningguang to the group.

"I'm Keqing, and this is Ningguang," she said, nodding toward her teammate. "So, tell us... who's the fastest driver here in Yougou?"

Beidou stepped forward, her voice carrying the weight of confidence.

"If you're looking for the fastest in Yougou, then you're looking at her, Hotshot."

Keqing and Ningguang exchanged glances before turning back to Beidou.

"Alright then," Keqing said with a mischievous grin. "How about a mountain run? We're new here, so we'll take it easy on your turf. Should be fun."

March couldn't help but grin as she hugged Collei, excitement bubbling in her voice.

"This is going to be awesome, Collei!"

Collei, however, wore a confused expression, her face scrunched up in slight disgust. As Keqing and Ningguang hopped back into their respective RX-7s and sped off down the mountain, Pela nudged Seele and Beidou, urging them to stop staring into the darkness.

"Hey, no time to be a spectator," Pela said. "Let's get in some practice runs before they return."

Seele and Beidou agreed, and with that, the group split up for their own runs. As Beidou fastened her five-point harness, March turned to her.

"Hey, can we join you for the downhill run?" she asked, hopeful.

Beidou shook her head, her expression serious as she adjusted her grip on the wheel.

"No can do, March. When it's a serious run like this, I prefer to drive alone. Helps me focus. But don't worry, I'll be back to pick you guys up before we head home."

Beidou rolled up her window, shifted into first gear, and mashes the gas pedal. The R32 launched forward, rear wheels spinning, leaving a trail of smoke and tire marks behind. Collei and March stood at the side, watching as Beidou began her descent down the mountain.

As the sounds of engines revving and tires screeching echoed through the pass, March pouted in frustration.

"Ugh, this sucks! I wish we had our own car!" she muttered.

Collei, still confused, suddenly turned to March with a question.

"Hey, March… is it really that fun being a street racer?"

March stopped mid-complaint, her face serious as she turned to Collei.

"Huh?"

Collei continued, still unsure.

"I don't get it. Everyone, including you, seems so excited about this, but I just don't understand what's so great about it."

March scratched her head, puzzled herself.

"Wait, you don't get why this is exciting? The engines roaring, the tires screeching as we race down the mountain pushing ourselves and our cars to the limit? How is that not exciting?"

Collei blinked, her confusion deepening.

"That's supposed to get me worked up?"

Back at the base of Mount Yougou, a phone rang in Arlecchino's home. She picked it up, her voice smooth as ever.

"Hearth's Tofu Shop, how can I help you?"

She paused as the voice on the other end made her raise an eyebrow.

"Well, well, Lyney," Arlecchino said with a chuckle. "It's been a while. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to hear from you today."

Lyney, on the other end, was sipping coffee at a convenience store, leaning against his Toyota Century G50.

"Good to hear from you too. So, tell me, aren't you happy to hear from an old friend?"

Arlecchino let out a small chuckle.

"Of course, it's nice to catch up. So, what brings you to my line today?"

Lyney hesitated for a moment, then recalled his encounter with her the previous night.

"Funny thing… last night, I passed you on your way down from your delivery. I flashed my lights to signal you, but you flew past me like I was nobody."

Arlecchino smirked, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, Lyney, but that wasn't me."

Lyney, thinking she was joking, pushed further.

"It had to be! I saw your Eight Six. There's no mistaking that car."

Arlecchino raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Well, you caught me. It was my car, but I wasn't the one driving."

Lyney was stunned, his voice dropping as he processed her words.

"It can't be! It was your Eight Six!…"

Arlecchino casually scratched her cheek, clearly enjoying the conversation.

"My daughter, Collei, has been doing the deliveries to the hotels for about five years now."

Lyney nearly choked on his coffee.

"Wait - Collei? Since when?!"

Arlecchino chuckled, clearly unfazed by Lyney's shock.

"Yeah, about five years now."

Lyney, still reeling, blurted out, "She's been delivering tofu since the seventh grade?!"

The scene then shifted back to the mountain pass, where Ningguang and Keqing's practice run was in full swing. Despite Seele's power advantage, she struggled to keep up with Ningguang's precision through the corners. Keqing was facing similar challenges, trying to hold her ground against Beidou's team. Both of them struggled with cornering, but as the hours passed, the intensity of the runs only grew.

At the summit of Yougou, Beidou, Seele, and Pela were taking a break, their minds focused on the race to come. Meanwhile, Ningguang and Keqing sat together at a rest area, discussing their runs.

Ningguang, ever observant, noted, "At this point, I might not even need to bring my own car to the race. They're good, but not good enough to challenge us. If they're at their best, we'll still have the upper hand."

Keqing raised an eyebrow.

"You're not going to bring your car?"

Ningguang nodded, her voice filled with quiet determination.

"I want you to set the fastest time. Beat their record, no matter what. That way, no one can touch us."

Keqing nodded in agreement, her competitive spirit fully ignited.

"Alright. You head back to Araumi, and I'll stay here to learn the course. I'll be ready."

Ningguang gave a brief nod before getting into her FC and driving off. Meanwhile, Beidou and her team were deep in conversation as they prepared for their next runs.

"If you aren't aware," Beidou said, her tone serious, "street racers like us don't like losing. Especially not on our home turf. It's an unwritten rule—you never lose here to an outsider."

Hours passed, and the clock struck 4:30 AM. Keqing and her teammates waited at the top of Yougou as the first light of dawn approached.

"Where's Ningguang?" one of Keqing's teammates asked."

"She's probably already asleep," Keqing replied, glancing at the sky. "We should head home soon."

As she descended the mountain, Keqing pushed her car harder, her eyes scanning the road ahead. A few hairpins later, she noticed headlights in her rearview mirror. Surprised, she muttered to herself.

"Looks like they're catching up."

She initially assumed it was one of her teammates, but when she took a closer look, she realized something was off.

"What the hell is that car? Is it an MR2? Or an NSX?"

The mystery car was fast, keeping up with her in the corners, but falling behind on the straightaways. Keqing was impressed, but confident she could shake it off. She floored the gas, accelerating down the mountain.

"Nice driving, chief," she muttered, "but after a couple more hairpins, you won't even be in my rearview mirror."

But as they reached the next set of turns, The Eight Six suddenly passes her from her right side.. The mysterious car an Eight Six caught up in the corners like a ghost, passing her on the right in a daring maneuver.

"Doesn't that idiot know that this fast right hander is followed by a left hand hairpin!? If it doesn't slow down now its gonna slam into the guardrail!"

Then suddenly the rear end of the Eight Six Suddenly starts sliding. Keqing then slams on the brakes

"I knew it! That fucking idiot is going in way to fast! There's no slowing down, its gonna hit the guardrail!"

Then suddenly. The Eight Six's rear end shifts to the right. A perfectly executed inertia drift.

"No.. No Way!" Keqing Muttered, "An Inertia Drift!?"

Keqing then suddenly spins out. The Panda AE86 disappears into the night.

Her teammates soon caught up, clearly excited.

"Did you see that freak in the Eight Six?!"

Keqing could only nod, still shaken by the experience.

"Yeah… and my pride doesn't like it one bit. No way some beat up Eight Six is going to outrun an RX7 FD. Not on my watch."

She signaled to her teammates, ready to continue.

The practice night, meant to be about setting records and refining techniques, had turned into something else entirely. Now, Keqing had a new goal. And that is to find that mysterious Eight Six and challenge its driver to a proper race.