As the tournament began, every ranked entry was grand in its own way — but Rank 1's entrance was different.
When Meenaksh arrived, the air itself seemed to shift.
He walked in with full confidence, shoulders straight, eyes sharp — completely determined to win. There was no doubt in his steps. No hesitation. He was born for this moment.
But the second he saw Palmila standing near the arena, his expression softened. The fierce look in his eyes melted into a quiet smile. He walked over and stood beside her, close — not touching, but close enough for everyone to notice.
And everyone did notice.
Rei. Kai. Berry.
They were all staring.
The whispers started almost instantly. It wasn't official before, but now it was obvious.
They were dating.
Berry clicked her tongue in annoyance — as usual. It was almost her personality at this point.
Meanwhile, the players began collecting their uniforms. Each jacket carried their rank and the stars engraved proudly on the chest. The higher the rank, the brighter the embroidery shone under the lights.
Soon, they made their way to the ground.
Just as the announcer prepared to begin, an unknown challenger stepped forward.
He had stars equal to Kai's — Rank 3 — yet his name wasn't on the official list.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
He wasn't from Totsuki.
He was from Aries — a rival academy.
Before the situation could escalate, Queen Johna rejected him coldly.
"He is not part of this school. His challenge is invalid."
The tension broke, but only for a second.
Because then—
Kai stepped forward.
"I'll challenge Rank 1."
Silence.
No one expected that.
Even Meenaksh's eyes sharpened.
And from the side, Kenai — Rank 10 — clenched his fists. Palmila felt a chill run down her spine. She was terrified that if Kenai fought Meenaksh now, it wouldn't be a match…
It would be war.
Lily's confession echoed in her mind.
"I liked Meenaksh first… but after seeing how he loves you, I acknowledged Kenai instead."
Kenai had heard it too.
He was hurt.
Angry.
Not heartbroken — but humiliated.
Now the only thing between him and Meenaksh was rivalry. And behind that rivalry… a hidden intention no one had fully seen yet.
That night, before the official match, Kai and Meenaksh met privately.
"No hard feelings," Kai said with a smirk. "Friendly rivalry."
Meenaksh smirked back. "Then give it your all."
They decided to race.
Not just race — but compete in Meenaksh's strongest skill: driving.
They practiced in a quiet, empty stretch of road under the night sky. Engines roared. Tires screeched. The air smelled of fuel and competition.
And as always—
No one could catch Meenaksh.
Kai laughed breathlessly after losing again. "You're insane."
Palmila, watching from a distance, finally stepped forward.
"Kai… come to my birthday party," she said casually. "I couldn't celebrate that day, but now I can."
Meenaksh raised a brow.
Kai grinned. "In front of your boyfriend? Bold."
Palmila crossed her arms. "I trust Meenaksh."
Kai teased, "You'll never support anyone else, right?"
She smirked. "I will… if you're not fighting him."
They all laughed.
Meenaksh looked at her with quiet pride. "So you've made the right decision."
The next day.
The match began.
The crowd was louder than ever.
Meenaksh chose his favorite car — sleek, powerful, perfectly tuned.
Kai chose his own machine, equally fierce.
But something was wrong.
Palmila noticed it first.
The paddle.
It looked slightly off.
Her heart dropped.
She ran forward, trying to reach him — but she was too late. The engines had already roared to life.
The race began.
Unexpectedly, Kai took the lead first.
Gasps filled the stadium.
But then—
Meenaksh surged forward like lightning.
He overtook him effortlessly, the car moving like it was flying. The crowd screamed as he gained impossible speed.
Palmila felt uneasy.
Something wasn't right.
She ran toward the officials. "Stop the race! Something's wrong with his paddle!"
But no one reacted fast enough.
Meenaksh crossed the finish line first.
He won.
But—
The car didn't slow down.
His eyes widened.
He pressed the brake.
Nothing.
The brake glazed.
Not failed — but locked in resistance.
The car was heading straight ahead at full speed.
Palmila screamed his name.
He couldn't hear her.
In one split second decision —
He jumped.
The car continued forward —
And exploded.
Flames shot into the air.
The entire ground went silent.
Palmila felt her knees weaken in relief when she saw him rolling safely across the ground. Medics rushed toward him immediately.
She ran too.
"Are you okay?!" she cried, grabbing his arm.
Kai rushed over as well. "Bro! How did your brakes fail?"
Meenaksh coughed lightly and stood up, brushing off dust.
"They didn't fail," he said calmly. "They glazed."
Palmila froze.
He was hiding something.
She knew it.
And somewhere in the shadows, someone was watching.