For fans of Initial D, this stretch of the story was excruciating.
The manga had paused right at the start of Takumi's long anticipated race against Mako Sato.
Up until now, every match Takumi had raced took place on his home turf Mount Akina. Whether it was Keisuke Takahashi, who sought him out and lost, or the overly confident Nakasato, or even Shingo, whose reckless driving sent Takumi's friend to the hospital each challenge had been on familiar ground.
But Mako Sato was different.
She had invited Takumi to race on Mount Usui.
This shift in location sparked serious curiosity among fans. Could Takumi maintain his dominance without the advantage of knowing every corner and slope? Had his previous opponents lost to sheer skill or simply because they were racing on his home course?
The race format was a "chase." On Mount Usui's narrow roads, the lead car held a clear advantage. If the driver behind couldn't overtake, no matter how skilled they were, the match could be decided simply by positioning. Thus, drivers alternated front and back positions between rounds. The first to break away from the other sealed the win.
Since Mako had issued the challenge, she and her navigator Sayuki offered Takumi the choice: take the lead, or chase.
To everyone's surprise including Mako and Sayuki Takumi chose to follow.
It was a baffling decision. Choosing to lead would have let him set the pace, especially on an unfamiliar course. He could've used the opportunity to study the terrain.
But he declined. Which, to Mako and Sayuki, came off as arrogance.
Mako, usually composed, wore a rare scowl.
Over the course of February, the serialized chapters showed the battle escalating.
From the moment the race began, Mako and Sayuki were determined to shake Takumi. And Takumi, trailing behind, immediately felt the pressure of facing the strongest duo he'd ever encountered.
This wasn't like racing Keisuke or Shingo. Takumi's expression usually calm was now taut with focus, sweat gathering on his brow.
But he wasn't the only one feeling the heat.
Despite giving it their all, Mako and Sayuki couldn't shake the AE86.
Their duel blazed on, corner after corner, until both cars approached one of the most infamous turns on Mount Usui Corner C-121.
On the roadside, three local racers chatted about the upcoming turn. Readers quickly understood from their conversation just how dangerous this section was.
C-121 wasn't just a sharp bend it was nearly a full loop, like a snake coiled in on itself. Only a few drivers could enter at full speed and drift cleanly through without losing control. To their knowledge, only Mako and Sayuki in their Sileighty(The Sileighty is a popular drift car that combines the front end of a Nissan Silvia S13 with the rear of a Nissan 180SX, blending style and performance) had ever done it flawlessly.
Most readers saw that and thought, "Got it. This is where things shift."
But experienced fans knew better: this corner was the race's turning point.
Because Takumi was the chaser, if he couldn't match Mako's full-speed drift through C-121 on his first time seeing the corner he'd fall behind. And in this kind of race, even a split second gap could be decisive.
Anticipation turned into tension.
Would Takumi pull it off?
He had never looked this rattled before.
Then came the moment.
The three bystanders perked up at the sound of approaching engines.
Sure enough, the two cars burst into view Mako's Sileighty in front, Takumi's AE86 right behind.
Sayuki's voice rang out in the passenger seat:
"No traffic go for it, Mako!"
Mako didn't hesitate. She floored the accelerator, hurtling into the corner. And Takumi followed at the same blistering speed.
There was no room for fear. If he hesitated here, the race was over.
Then came the panel that made readers freeze.
Both cars swung into the drift nearly simultaneously, their rear tires kicking out, the tail of each vehicle skimming within inches of the guardrails but never touching.
The trio at the corner were stunned.
Takumi had entered the corner at Mako's speed on his first try.
Sayuki's inner narration gave readers more insight:
This corner only had one correct line. Even if it looked like multiple routes were possible, only one allowed a full speed drift with a clean exit.
She and Mako had practiced it for years.
There was no way a newcomer could find it instantly right?
Wrong.
Not only did Takumi take the correct line, he exited the curve with a tighter angle than Mako. He was closer to the apex, smoother on the throttle technically perfect.
If the road hadn't been so narrow, he could've overtaken her then and there.
The three spectators were speechless. One of them blurted out,
"Is that... the AE86 from Akina Mountain everyone's been talking about?"
Mako, focused on the road, hadn't noticed. But Sayuki had.
She could see everything clearly. Mako's turn had been off by about five centimeters nothing major, but enough to notice. But the AE86 behind them? That had been flawless.
Sayuki swallowed hard.
This guy's not just skilled. He's a monster.
They were no longer racing someone on their level.
Shout out to JLBRK for joining my p-atreon! your support means everything to me.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)