"T-The black market!?" Stella's face went pale as her small hand clutched her pilot's sleeve.
Derek Su turned to look at her. "What about the black market? You know it?"
"Mmm, mmm~ Back when I was still on the AI Wall, I picked up some info about it. They say it's full of drivers and Mecha Girls who eat people!"
Stella's expression twisted as if some awful memory surfaced.
"Eat people?" Derek Su's mouth twitched.
The Mecha Girl era might be scientifically absurd, but the laws governing humans and Mecha Girls were airtight.
And the relationship between a pilot and a Mecha Girl wasn't master and servant. Those who signed a Mind Imprint were basically just linking consciousness—partners in cooperation. The pilot or club provided money, the Mecha Girl provided labor. Conflicts could arise, even break partnerships, but almost never escalated to murder unless someone pushed way too far.
Humans had countless desires. Mecha Girls, however, cared almost exclusively about racing.
So it wasn't easy for them to fall into serious conflict—unless one side's needs were completely ignored.
"Young man, is this your Mecha Girl? So cute~" The convenience store lady's face melted into a doting auntie smile after hearing Stella's dramatic claim. "The black market isn't as scary as you think. Sure, there are shady groups, but there are also people just trying to survive. Sometimes you'll find rare Modules or strong Mecha Girls. If you can pay, you can take them home. And of course, there's the underground Mecha Girl racing I mentioned earlier."
Derek Su thought,
So basically underground cage fights, but with engines.
If Mr. Liang's friend got tangled in this, that was trouble.
He needed more information. Offering to buy Stella a lollipop, he asked politely, "Could you explain the underground Mecha Girl races a bit more? I'm new in Tianyuan City."
"Underground races," the boss lady said, "are private competitions without any official recognition. The training matches you join normally—they're at least authorized. Those tracks are registered. Underground races? Nothing is regulated. Tracks, contestants, rules—it's all loose. The whole point is making money, usually tied to loan sharks and gambling."
Then her face hardened.
"Kid, don't tell me you're planning to join an underground race? With such a cute Mecha Girl? How could you bear to risk her? Actually, forget it—just leave her with me. Following you is a waste!"
"Eh-heh… n-no, I was just asking…"
"Kid, you think I can't afford your Mecha Girl?"
"No, no, that's not—"
"I'm loaded!" She yanked out a playing-card box from a drawer.
She flipped it, and clatter—the entire table filled with bank cards.
Derek Su: "…"
Okay. Fine. Apparently only he lived in poverty.
...
Tianyuan City had several underground black markets.
The one on Haitang Street sat inside an abandoned underground mall at the far end of the road.
The man who'd taken Zane "Old Debt" Larkin was the local powerhouse of this area's underground network—Xavier Young, owner of the Foxfire Club.
Xavier Young ran the entire underground Mecha Girl race circuit. Any pilot and any Mecha Girl could enter, but fairness and safety were nonexistent because illegal modifications were fully allowed. A Mecha Girl might look harmless on the outside, yet you never knew how many RPGs were hidden inside her cockpit.
Derek Su still decided to take Stella down there to see what happened to Old Deadbeat.
Even if he couldn't rescue him, he needed answers about Mr Liang.
Ten minutes later, they stood before the yawning black entrance of the abandoned mall.
Two empty cans rattled across the lonely street in the wind.
Stella latched onto Derek Su's arm, trembling. "Master, there are man-eating pilots and Mecha Girls inside! But don't worry—this genius Mecha Girl will protect you!"
Derek Su glanced at her skeptically. With her voice shaking like that, her words held zero confidence.
"I'm strong and fearless! There's no way anyone in there could scare me. So all I have to do is protect Master from being eaten!"
With fierce determination, Stella puffed out her chest, trying to look brave and unshakeable—even though her trembling hands betrayed her nerves.
Derek Su: "…"
They walked into the underground mall together.
They expected it to be darker and more ominous than the streets above.
But as the elevator doors slid open, the pounding punk music, the roar of the crowd, and the dizzying neon lights all crashed over them like a chaotic wave.
No wonder the street above was so empty—everything lively had migrated underground.
Derek Su guided Stella deeper inside. The noisiest, most crowded place was a gladiator-like arena.
Spectators filled the stands, shouting wildly. Below, in an area the size of two basketball courts placed side by side, two Mecha Girls clashed like ancient warriors. One, black and heavily armored, bristled with serrated weapons. The other, smaller and bright purple, showed no modification signs at all—fighting purely with agility.
"Black Shark! Tear her apart!"
"Send that little eel flying!"
"Last call for bets! Thirty seconds left!"
...
Stella watched the fight below, her eyes full of sorrow and confusion.
Mecha Girls were born for the racetrack. They weren't supposed to be used as entertainment props here.
"Master, why are they doing this? Where are their pilots?"
Before Derek Su could reply, a man beside them spoke up:
"Little miss, not every Mecha Girl gets to race officially. Some pilots and Mecha Girls lose hope and throw everything away. Illegal mods, underground races—that's their only income.
Some Mecha Girls get abandoned by their clubs, but without the money to pay their penalty fees, they can't leave. Without pilots, they have to earn their own penalty fees to gain freedom—or else they're sent back for recycling."
He gestured toward the agile purple Mecha Girl.
"Take that one—Purple Lightning. She's been here over a year. Looks weak, but she's incredibly nimble. I always bet on her. Usually wins me some cash."
Derek Su and Stella both focused on Purple Lightning.
Sensing something, Purple Lightning turned and met Stella's gaze.
"It's her?" she whispered to herself, stunned.
That heartbeat of distraction was enough—
The black Mecha Girl rammed her full-force, sending her flying into the arena wall.
"Oh no! How'd she get hit like that?!" The man slapped his forehead.
"Great, I'm losing money today! Once Purple Lightning gets hit, she almost never gets back up. What's going on? The other Mecha Girl is moving like a slug!"
...
Agonizing pain wracked Purple Lightning's body.
Through blurred vision, she looked toward the girl in the stands—the blue eyes filled with pity and sadness.
"Damn it!"
Purple Lightning clenched her teeth. What was that look supposed to be?
She didn't want those eyes. She didn't want anyone's pity.
Get up.
Restart.
She tried to move, drawing on every scrap of strength. Usually, she would've already given up, waiting to be hauled away for repairs. But today—today anger and humiliation surged through her like a flood bursting through a dam, compressing into raw force that burned her chest like fire.
Vrrr—!
Her generator roared, white-hot smoke bursting from the hood and wheels.
The black Mecha Girl approached slowly, confident, preparing the finishing blow to knock her out of the arena for good.
But the instant they collided—Purple Lightning suddenly sprang to life, shifting out of the path. Tires screeched, white smoke billowing and blinding the view.
Boom—!
The black Mecha Girl slammed into the wall, dazed.
Purple Lightning backed up five or six meters. A half-meter trapezoidal razor blade extended from her front end.
Inside her cockpit, she lifted her pale face, eyes gleaming with feral intensity.
In her mind, that girl's smiling face and pitying gaze flickered back and forth, fusing into a wildfire burning hotter and hotter.
"Zidian, starting today, I won't pilot you anymore."
"Zidian, if you want to leave the club, pay triple the penalty fee."
"Buying you was our mistake. We never thought you'd be so useless."
…
Pilots… who needs them?
I can do this myself.
"Aaah—!"
Her roar mixed with the engine's cry.
Purple Lightning shot forward like an unsheathed blade, ramming into the black Mecha Girl.
Again—
And again—
Each strike harder than the last, until the black Mecha Girl was smoking, completely motionless.
Only when the razor blade was bent and blunt, and her Endurance fully drained, did she finally stop.
Purple Lightning deployed open, collapsing onto her back amid the wreckage, one hand covering her forehead and eyes.
The arena lights above were blinding.
But as long as her eyes stayed open, the tears wouldn't fall.