"Mecha Girl XC-99, unable to steer during its debut run, crashed from start to finish—earning the nickname 'Killer Mecha Girl'..."
There was no way he could actually read that black history out loud.
Kool Kenny quickly reorganized his wording and continued, "Wild driver Derek Su's Mecha Girl XC-99 hails from the XC Family, famed for their speed. She boasts strong acceleration but is slightly weaker in steering. However, after Derek Su's tuning and modifications, has XC-99's steering improved? We might find out very soon."
As he spoke, Kool Kenny saw Stella already running side by side with Jade-786.
With Stella's current speed, overtaking Jade-786 would've been effortless. He fully expected Stella to simply blow past her on the straight.
But to his surprise, Stella suddenly slowed down and lined up alongside Jade-786. The two Mecha Girls charged toward the Rift Hairpin together—a sight that made Kool Kenny's jaw drop.
Moments ago he hadn't been certain, but now he was: Stella was determined to clash with Jade-786 at the Rift Hairpin.
Did these two Mecha Girls have some kind of grudge?
Kool Kenny's confusion was instantly replaced by excitement. Without a doubt, this showdown would become the first major highlight of this year's Knox Rally.
Even a huge event like the Knox Rally needed headline moments and promotional buzz.
And nothing generated more hype than a full-on duel—driver versus driver, Mecha Girl versus Mecha Girl—on a special stage.
Scenes like this were common in side-by-side races, but extremely rare in the staggered-start format of the Knox Rally.
Especially rare when someone like Stella, who could clearly overtake, deliberately chose to engage Jade-786 in a fight.
"All units, stand by for rescue and recording!" Kool Kenny took a deep breath and grabbed his walkie-talkie. "Whether the boss gives us extra chicken legs tonight depends on whether you can capture the amazing footage we're about to get."
Meanwhile, on the Knox track, just before the Rift Hairpin.
As Jade-786 and Stella closed in on the corner, the tension in the air thickened.
A storm was coming.
"They're catching up? That's impossible!" Kyle Zhang whipped his head around, staring at Stella and Derek Su in disbelief.
At this point, Derek Su and the XC-99 should have been licking their wounds somewhere behind them. Yet the XC-99's chassis showed no signs of impact—not a single scratch.
While Kyle Zhang was still reeling, Derek Su and Stella both turned toward him and flashed sinister grins. "Heh heh~"
"You sons of—!" Kyle Zhang slammed a fist onto the control stick in fury. Jade-786 winced from the pain but clenched her teeth, daring not complain.
This was the crucial stage of the race. No matter what, she wanted to finish the Knox Rally.
Her heart had already sunk the moment Derek Su and XC-99 caught up.
She immediately recognized Stella's shining silver chassis—the same Mecha Girl she and Kyle Zhang had discussed on the night she followed him home. Back then, she'd insisted there was no way they could beat that mysterious machine, while Kyle Zhang claimed they might not outrun her, but could still aim for a top ten at Knox.
And now she realized that machine was the XC-99—the one she'd mocked—the one the Ascend Racing Club had thrown into the Recycling Yard.
And her pilot was Derek Su, the man she'd schemed against and kicked aside without hesitation.
She still remembered their debut together: XC-99's terrifying speed that had filled her with jealousy, and its horrible steering—crashing from start to finish—that had secretly delighted her. Yet now, XC-99 wore no collision marks at all. Its steering problem had been solved. Maybe it had already been solved that very night.
And the one who solved it… was undoubtedly Derek Su.
Jade-786's eyes reddened. Her chassis trembled. Her breath hitched, emotions churning chaotically inside her.
No matter how he did it, Derek Su had truly transformed the XC-99.
So if she hadn't kicked him away back then… would she have been the one transformed?
"Derek Su, you think just modifications to the XC-99 is enough? There's a hairpin up ahead. Do you even know what a hairpin turn is?" Kyle Zhang stared at him with manic eyes, slapping the control stick. "You want to take the turn with me? You want to block me? Fine! I want to see how you plan to block me!"
He ordered Jade-786 to go full throttle and began dueling Derek Su side by side.
"Master, calm down." Jade-786 gasped through the pain in her back. "XC-99's Impact Resistance is stronger than mine. If we collide in the hairpin, I might be knocked clean off the track!"
"Then what are you saying?" Kyle Zhang glared at her, eyes bulging.
His pride couldn't stand the idea that someone he once trampled was now towering over him.
"Master… I suggest slowing down. Let Derek Su and XC-99 take the turn first."
Jade-786 looked back at him, eyes pleading.
She hoped he would think of the bigger picture, not a petty clash of egos.
Instead, she received a slap across the face.
"Who do you think you are? You're just a Mecha Girl! To put it bluntly, you're nothing but a servant I bought. You do what I say, and if you can't—then get back to the Recycling Yard!"
Beside them, Derek Su and Stella let out occasional "heh heh" laughs—harmless physically, devastating emotionally.
Kyle Zhang was already too enraged to think straight. Bloodshot eyes locked on the control stick, he focused solely on defeating Derek Su in the hairpin ahead.
Jade-786 had no choice but to obey and accelerate at full power.
...
"Ladies and gentlemen, the two Mecha Girls are about to enter the turn together!" Kool Kenny's excited shout thundered across the arena.
On the helicopter, staff tightened their grip on the cameras, while the medic beside them grimaced and crossed himself.
In the stands, many spectators rose instinctively to their feet.
Mr. Liang squeezed his iced tea nervously and stood as well.
He didn't notice his sunglasses were crooked, and a nearby camera captured his entire face.
VROOOOM—!
Engines howled as Stella dove into the inside line, executing an inertial drift under Derek Su's control.
Meanwhile, Kyle Zhang slowed Jade-786 along the outside line, trying to make use of the Rift Hairpin's painfully narrow width and short corner length.
Jade-786 didn't want to collide with Stella, shrinking her maneuvering space even further. But every time she hesitated, Kyle Zhang's orders forced her to speed up again.
When the pilot's will collided with the Mecha Girl's, loss of control was inevitable.
But Jade-786 didn't even get that far—because Stella had already begun her inertial tail swing.
Screeeech—!
Tires shrieked against the asphalt, sparks flying as black smoke curled upward.
Jade-786 stared in shock as Stella's nose carved a flawless arc around the apex.
She didn't know what that technique was. Her very soul trembled. But she knew—without a doubt—that it was Derek Su's doing.
At that moment, the man sat in XC-99's cockpit, face cold and unreadable. The earlier mocking grin was gone. He cast her a sidelong glance, light and effortless—like an emperor glancing down at an ant he chose to acknowledge.
And she was that ant.
The instant their gazes met, Jade-786 felt a sting pierce her eyes.
BOOM—!
A deafening impact slammed into her chassis from the rear side.
Jade-786 felt herself lose all control. Kyle Zhang's panicked screams rang in her ears.
She saw herself veering off the track, drifting farther and farther away as her vision shook violently. The world spun, rolling end over end, pain jolting through her entire frame—
until she plunged into seawater.
Her eyes still chased after Derek Su.
But as the roar of engines faded into the distance, she could no longer even see Stella's taillights.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser