A high-pitched shriek tore through the air. With every gear shift, a ferocious roar reverberated, echoing off the mountainside. The vibration shuddering through the chassis was, in its own right, a magnificent form of music—though art is something that only holds value to those who can perceive it. Others might hear only noise; few would call it art, but subjectivity is the nature of the beast.
However, for the passenger absorbing every sensation, this was undeniably a moment of supreme quality.
As the impromptu concert came to an end, the performer turned to her audience.
"Your impressions?"
"It was… magnificent!! So this world actually exists… Ah, this is exactly what Father and Mother were talking about!!"
The performer was Mejiro Rampage. The audience was Silverstone. And the instrument was Rampage's beloved Subaru Impreza.
Silverstone, who had come to Japan for the Japan Cup, was the daughter of F1 team affiliates. Raised in the paddocks, she had trained alongside F1 drivers since childhood to build her stamina. It was this unique background that led her to make a specific request of Rampage—a request that had just been fulfilled.
"To think such a world exists… I finally understand why they told me I had to experience it at least once."
"I'm hardly a specialist in this field myself, you know… I was just dragged along countless times by a monster who does this in a Countach…"
"Can you introduce me to that person!!?"
"Yeah, sure. Someday. Maybe…"
The request was to see the Hashiriya—the street racers. Her parents, entrenched in the world of F1, had insisted she witness the driving style of Japan's street racers at least once. Naturally, she had asked Rampage if she knew any spots.
However, Rampage couldn't exactly drag a horse girl days away from the Japan Cup to an illicit gathering of street racers. Instead, Rampage—who had been dragged out to night passes by Maruzensky and occasionally took her own Impreza out for a spin—ended up demonstrating the practice herself.
"Unlike a maintained circuit, the pavement is uneven, and there is the constant threat of oncoming traffic… A high-speed battle in such an environment. I see why they said I should witness it. There is so much to process, and you must control the machine while processing it all…"
Silverstone was muttering furiously, scribbling notes into a small handbook. Rampage sighed in relief, glad that her guest was satisfied. After all, her Impreza was almost entirely stock, with no heavy customization. The most she had done was swap in high-grip tires and install bucket seats.
"Just so you know, my technique is amateur hour—purely improvised. The real pros move in ways that are way nastier. I've heard stories of racers in Gunma who hook their tires into the drainage gutters to turn corners."
"———Let's go there."
"Don't be ridiculous. Even if we went now, nobody's running."
It was currently 5:00 AM. They had left Silverstone's hotel early to reach the pass—the same one Maruzensky used—before the morning rush. If they tried to go to Gunma now, it would be noon by the time they arrived.
"Besides, aren't you in the middle of adjustments for the Japan Cup? Your trainer probably made a hell of a sour face about this little excursion, didn't he?"
"But I wanted to see it."
"Then go visit Suzuka Circuit or something after the Japan Cup."
"What are you saying? Obviously, I'm going there. It is the Holy Land, after all."
Since when did Suzuka become the Holy Land of F1? Though, Rampage recalled hearing many drivers call the circuit "godlike." Apparently, for F1 insiders, it was a pilgrimage site one could not skip.
"So, are you ready for the Japan Cup?"
"Hmph, naturally!! I've gotten used to the Japanese turf. Unlike Europe, it's so easy to build up speed here. It's the best!!"
For someone who prioritized speed above all else, Japan's high-speed tracks seemed to suit her skin perfectly; her adaptation was rapid. That was likely the only reason she was permitted this early morning outing… and consequently, the reason Rampage had been dragged out of bed before dawn.
"Alright, shall we head back?"
"Yes. Please allow me to pay for the tires. I imagine I shaved quite a bit off them."
"I'll pay for my own tires, thanks."
Rampage put the car back in gear. She had fulfilled Silverstone's request.
"Sorry to ask while we're at it, but… I want to greet Twin Turbo."
"You mean go to Tracen?"
"Yes. I absolutely must speak with the horse girl who runs like that."
At first, Rampage suspected mere curiosity, but looking at Silverstone, she saw a light in her eyes that could only be described as genuine admiration—perhaps even longing. Turbo's running had a charm that captivated even overseas G1 winners. Thinking about it, Rampage felt a flicker of pride, knowing she had helped complete that running style.
"That acceleration at the start dash, and then that second explosive burst of speed in the mid-to-late game… that is a technique no ordinary horse girl can pull off!! It's simply impossible to strategize against. I watched the footage repeatedly, but the timing is different in every single race. That is a devastatingly high-class technique. To be able to accelerate at such varied, unpredictable moments… Twin Turbo must be an incredibly sharp, calculating horse girl."
"———Pfff… Bwahahahahaha!!! Ah-hahahahahaha!!"
Rampage couldn't help it. She exploded into laughter.
Turbo? Sharp? Calculating? As someone who knew the girl personally, hearing those words applied to Twin Turbo was so absurd that she couldn't hold back.
To the uninitiated, however, the inconsistency of the "Dokkan Turbo" ignition must have looked intentional. Silverstone interpreted it as a trump card played only after reading the position of the runners behind her and the flow of the race.
"Eh? What? Did I say something strange!?"
"Y-You said it! You really said it!! Her!? A sharp intellectual!? No, no, absolutely not! That's the one thing she definitely isn't! Stop, my abs are gonna split!!"
"T-Then… I see. She's an intuitive genius!! That's what you mean, right!!?"
I have found the answer!! Silverstone looked triumphant. Rampage, gasping for breath, parked the car and decided not to deny it. Well, she's not wrong. It would be faster to let Silverstone see for herself than to try and explain.
And so, the encounter took place.
"Hmph! Turbo is faster!!"
"No, I am faster!!"
"It's Turbo! I'm a Triple Tiara winner just like Ran!!"
"It's me! I'm fast enough to vie for supremacy with Rampage!!"
Silverstone and Turbo hit it off immediately, with zero issues. Watching the two of them refusing to yield on who was faster, Rampage thought, If we threw Suzuka into this mix, it would turn into total chaos…
Yet, watching them, she found herself looking forward to the Japan Cup more than ever.
"If it's like this, let's have Ran decide!!"
"Yes, that's the best way!!"
"No, settle that in the Japan Cup or something. That's what the race is for."
""That's it!!""
"Idiot and idiot… Good grief, nothing but idiots around here. Though I guess… I'm quite the idiot myself."
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