The Slashers - Coffee Break!

[RCKakashi14]

Page 18 - Life-Changing Message



Shoot, the exit of the corner is a straight! My attack back there is useless! The GT-R escaped quickly!

Iwasaki: "You have some guts doing that on a car so expensive. Don't you have any care on it? Remember, you just borrowed it."


Here's another chance! I'll show you what an opportunity is! And how to get it! Let's go, Murcielago's optional Carbon Ceramic Brakes!

All right! Nice braking! Now, time for this Bull to charge!

I have another go at my attack. And finally the GT-R is pushed back so far on the outside that it didn't have time to recover.

The R34 lagged back there as well. That's a turbocharger for you.

Iwasaki: "He took advantage of this GT-R's turbo lag."

It's over, Iwasaki. Don't even think you can overtake me. Because your GT-R will just end up understeering...

At the starting point, the team finds out what happened, and then they celebrate.



Takanori: "All right! I knew Aniki will win this! He will never ever allow himself to lose to a GT-R..."


Sir Shaw: "I'm glad that he put my car into good use. I'm sure he's very happy."



Then Hiroyuki approaches the team's mechanics.


Hiroyuki: "Motoharu, Tetsuda, pack up now. We will cancel the time trial."


The two mechanics comply and they have started to put the equipment back into the vans.


Takanori: "We're cancelling the time trial?"


Hiroyuki: "My son claimed that he saw around 5 cloaked men holding stopwatches scattered all over the pass. Something is fishy here, and we have to play safe for now. If they are our next opponent, we cannot let them see our true potential!"


Takanori: "That's odd. The cloak is an icing on the cake, though."


Nobuhiko: "Could this be Iwasaki's doing?"



Hiroyuki: "I don't think so. I'm sure something big is going on in the future, and we have to prepare for it. Why are they gathering data on us? The one who pulls the strings is a bigger person, or perhaps even a syndicate."


When the race is over, we returned to the top of the hill. Iwasaki is defeated, and now he points his finger at me.



Iwasaki: "You... why? Why is it that you have an illustrious career? Why is it you act like the future is good for you?"


Takuma: "I guess it's time...


Listen, everyone! This is for the benefit for all of you. You may be thinking that street racing is more exciting, and I gotta agree on that, and I even believe that it will hone your skills even further and you can use them on the track.

However, that's all they can give. What about opportunities in life? You'll never grow and never succeed further if you keep on racing here. You have to go out and let the world see you! The world watches you every time you race at the circuits, much more if that's a major series or a championship.


And Iwasaki, it's your fault why you ran out of opportunities. You did not chase them, you did not do your best in acquiring them. In the professional racing world, everyone is vying for those opportunities and big breaks, and do you know how to get them?

Simple, by winning. If you have ambition and determination to succeed, then they are the fuels that ignite your fire to win. Don't think opportunities will come at you, you have to chase them, and be aggressive! You have to be the one doing the moving, not them. Yes, losing is part of one's life, but we learn from those to be stronger, and faster. You may have lost in the professional racing world, but you did not learn from it and instead blame it for your misfortunes. And for that, I pity you. And you think you can save everyone by your "benevolent" mission? I think not. There are a lot of professional racers who started out on the streets, and they worked their way up and eventually settled and tried their best on the racetrack until the world saw their worth and blessed them with further opportunities.


Iwasaki, I am here because I want to teach you a lesson. By racing you, it's my way of proving my point. The way I attacked you is my way of showing you that this is how you must get your opportunities."



He did not reply any further. I guess my speech must have hit him to the core. I joined with the rest of team.



Hiroyuki: "Let's go. Hey, your FD can still move, right?"


Takuma: "I can still cruise with it."


And then I approached old man Shaw, and returned the keys to him.


Takuma: "Thank you, old man. I shall repay you someday. The car is tuned nicely."


Sir Shaw: "You're welcome. I have to repent my sins, and that's why don't hesitate coming to me for any help, okay? I have to make it up to you, and I believe that you will be a far greater person in the future."


I'm helping out the crew in packing up. Everyone left... however, we do hear another car upcoming.

Yuki: "Before we go home, I have to see my cousin."


Tatsuru: "Oh okay. Why?"


Yuki: "He deserves to see my true colors."

A white S2000? And I'm sure it's souped-up. It made a u-turn and stopped right in front of us.

And then the driver window opens up. It's Yuki. Hey, how are you, our little cousin? And that's a serious S2000 you own.



Yuki: "Congratulations on your victory."


Takuma: "Yuki? Oh, so you watched the race too?"


Yuki: "I'd expect that you win. However, your mission is not yet over."


Takuma: "What?"


Yuki: "I am the Original Slasher, the Guardian of The Hills. I am the one who started the Slasher name."


Nobuhiko: "Original Slasher???"


Yuki: "That's right, Senpai. Even you don't know about it. Ever since I was 13, I have worked hard to earn that name!"


Original Slasher? So it's like I'm facing the final boss of a video game?

And HE STARTED DRIVING WHEN HE WAS 13 YEARS OLD!? AT THE MOUNTAIN PASSES!?


Yuki: "My original target was Jintei, but since you have defeated him, I now set my sights on you. I want to gauge myself against you.



Oh, I want to race against not that yellow FD, but the Touge Monster FD. I want to see if the Touge Monster can still reign the hills, and I shall end it. Let's race next weekend at my home course in Gunma, at the mountain pass that serves as a quick route to Tokyo.


And one more thing.... I want to see your dragon wings. I want to see the Black Dragon!



Without further adieu, Yuki leaves. He's been ruling the hills since 13? Props to you... but I accept your challenge! Let's see how I fare against a street specialist!



End of Page 18




AUTHOR'S NOTES:

- All right! I'm officially done with GT5! I have finished recording the final duel. And thank you for volunteering for all the duels. All I need to do now is to take photos and post them here!

 

[Turbotwin01]

Good read, excited for the duel and for what GT6 will offer!

 

[SomePlayaDude]

Reminiscent of my own fiction, somewhat. There's a lot at stake, and it's exciting.

And might as well conceptualize on what's to come. I've been at wit's end thinking about how to be better than before. My prologue is going to be based on a mix of Mass Effect's method of recruitment and a bit on "Meet The Team", like in Team Fortress 2. Make it something that's going to haul the readers in.

 

[Ruby Kyrie]

So I guess this is where you will start a new sequel.

I am still not too sold by the development but I will keep my judgment until I finish to the very end.

Keep at it. =)

P.S: Friendly reminder; absorb more inspiration sources. More variety, more appeal, and more fun to write!

Keep writing! 👍

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 19 - Forecast

Somehow, it's back to normal. But I still can't rest easy. To think Yuki has started racing when he was 13. When I was that age, I used to beat up karate veterans in dojos or Otousan leaving me alone at the wilderness for my tests of survival. Well, he's sure to be tall enough to reach the pedals and steering wheel at that age.


Most of the week has gone normal, though. Work is pretty much hectic. Until one Thursday...


Takanori: "Aniki... look. The weather for the upcoming weekend will be bad. It will rain."

Takuma: "It seems that summer has officially ended."


Nobuyuki: "Come to think of it, it has been getting cloudy lately. Since Monday."


Takuma: "Rain or shine, the battle has to happen. For the street racers, it's business as usual."


Nobuhiko: "I can't believe it. I have known Yuki-kun for long, and I'm really surprised by that
revelation. So that means he has a lot of potential."



Nobuyuki: "We have already known that he mastered the mountains, but to think he started out so young. Plus, his innocent looks can deceive."


Takanori: "Off-topic, there will be another upcoming race the weekend after your race. But I'm sure it's none of your concern."

Takuma: "Who?"


Takanori: "Some guy named Outlaw is racing against a man named Clark Kayne."


Takuma: "Outlaw is a good acquaintance of mine. I might watch that race, if time allows me."



Nobuhiko: "Back to the topic, Takuma-san. Have you prepared for your battle?"



Takuma: "Last night, I have told my wife that I will stay overnight in an inn at Gunma. I'll practice tomorrow afternoon and then practice too at the day of the duel."



Takanori: "I'm coming!"



Takuma: "I'll be bringing one of the support vans as well. And I also asked Motoharu to come."



Nobuyuki: "That's a huge load of preparations there. Well, that's Yuki Kanonji-kun, after all. He will be tough."

*************************************************************************************

The next day, we immediately headed to the battle venue at Gunma after work. Takanori and Motoharu are at a support van, ready to assist me should I encounter problems.


I have raced in this road before, with my battle with Rob. So somehow I've gotten familiar with it. But this is Yuki's home course, and that is already an advantage for him!

The FD handles better than before. That's expected from Motoharu. He actually used to be a mechanic in Ama-san's RE Amemiya tuning shop in Tokyo, until we became close and he decided to join the Dream Alliance as a mechanic. While he has thorough knowledge in Mazda's Rotary cars, he also knows how to tune other types of cars.

And the boost is stable so far.

At the support van...

Takanori: "Motoharu-san, how did you set up the FD today?

Motoharu: "Today, it's surprising for Takuma-san to decide to use "Setting A" for the battle. His FD is running on it now."

Takanori: "Setting A?"

Motoharu: "Setting A is actually the setting when he's cruising around. Power is just 400 horsepower. Though it has similar suspension and brake setups as "Setting B". Setting B is used when he decides to take things seriously, and that's his normal course of action when he's racing the FD. Setting B increases the power to 480 horsepower. He never uses Setting A in battles. But...

Takanori: "What if it is raining? Maybe he is simulating it, don't you think?"

Motoharu: "It will rain. Look at the clouds. It will rain tonight, but tomorrow afternoon is expected to be wet. In that situation, he does not need those extra 80 horsepower. It could even work against him should he increases the FD's power further. And it's not just that."

Motoharu: "I think he wants to play fair. He deduced that Yuki's S2000 will lose in all-out power. Takuma-san doesn't want to make it too easy."




Takanori: "I know Aniki, he prefers a challenge. But I really do think that he has to use only 400 horsepower in the rain."




Motoharu: "But there's also one thing that worries me."

Motoharu: "We are in an elevated area. I am confident in Takuma-san's car control abilities should the road is dry or wet, but mountain road climate is different. There is something more dangerous lurking around in this type of place."


Takanori: "What is it?"


Motoharu: "The fog. Mountain passes get foggy when it rains. It's really scary. The upcoming battle will be dangerous!"



End of Page 19

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

- Time to open Photoshop and add rainfall and fog effects for the upcoming photos. This will be tedious.

 

[SomePlayaDude]

And that's why, ladies and gentlemen, that even official racing events had to wave the red flag when a fog comes in.

Dangerous... That's why you love it.

 

[787bcgr]

👍

 

[Turbotwin01]

The moment when I seen the Legacy Of The Dark Horse reference.

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 20 - Coming Down


This is it... the day of the battle. As I rose up from the bed looking like a zombie, Takanori is looking at the window.



Takanori: "This is really bad, Aniki. It's coming down."


Takuma: "How long has it been raining?"


Takanori: "It probably started while we're asleep. It's already raining this much when I woke up."


Takuma: "Then that means the road is slippery. Well, I'll work on my accelerator techniques once again."


Takanori: "I'm going to the coffee shop beside this inn. I'll buy coffee for you."


Takuma: "Let's go together. I will wake up Motoharu at the other room first."


Suddenly, someone calls in my phone. Who is it?



Takuma: "Hello?"


Sonny: "Moshi moshi there, Takuma!"


Takuma: "Oh it's the "lah" guy. And Moshi Moshi is used only by the receiver."


Sonny: "I've heard about your battle this afternoon. Are you sure that you will go through with it? It's really pouring, lah."


Takuma: "Don't underestimate the mountain pass street racers here. For them, it's business as usual. They don't want races to be postponed just because of heavy rain, unlike those in a racetrack."


Sonny: "So I suppose you are racing with a mountain pass racer? Too bored from the long break from professional racing?"


Takuma: "My opponent is both a professional race car driver and a mountain pass racer. And he's reigning the hills."


Sonny: "So he's not just a kid, eh? You are one hell of a family."


Takuma: "My cousin is not someone to be underestimated. You fell prey to his innocent looks."


Sonny: "I see. Well, good luck, then. I wonder when we'll see each other again?"


Takuma: "Perhaps at your friend's battle. I gotta go, as I have yet to have my coffee..."



**************************************************************************************


The three of us headed to the coffee shop. On the way, I tapped the ground with my shoe. The surface is slippery. No doubt that I will struggle later on.


Inside, we placed our orders and wait.



Motoharu: "I will revamp the the brake settings for this one."


Takuma: "The surface is slippery."


Takanori: "It's really difficult to race in the rain. Your braking distance lengthens, and even a slight turn at the wheel will make the car slide."


Takuma: "Hey Takanori, have you confirmed our participation in the upcoming FIA GT3 series?"


Takanori: "Yep! And I have decided to convert the Takanori Edition GT-R to GT3 specifications. I don't want to shell out money for a new car."


Takuma: "Our team has been spending a lot lately. I'm even contemplating not to join the other races and focus on GT3. I don't know yet, maybe if we have a lot of cash flowing in, why not?"


Motoharu: "Anyway, what time will we be heading to the mountain pass?"


Takuma: "At 2 pm, we need to be there. I need an hour or two to practice. It's been a long time since my last rain run. Last time was when I was with The Proteges."


Takanori: "The "Nobus" will be watching the battle as well. Such a cute duo, Little Nobu and Big Nobu. Hehe."


Takuma: "Here's our coffee."


Takanori: "Hey, I need 3 sachets of sugar."


Takuma: "I'll take the other three."


Motoharu: "You guys will have diabetes!"



**************************************************************************************


At around 2 pm, we arrived at the venue. There are people already watching. And the Hiramotos are there as well.

Damn... it's been a long time since I had my last rain battle with The Proteges. And that was around 3 years ago, I think.

But Motoharu did a good job in making this FD sure-footed. And of course all I have to do is adjusting my accelerator inputs.

You can't turn well when the road is slippery, and then once you do, the car will start to slide.

Countersteer, and there's another turn coming. Foot off the accelerator and...

...steer at the direction of the next turn and countersteer again. This is an example of the Inertia Drift! Taking off your foot from the accelerator and then steering after it will shift the car's body to the other direction.




At the starting point...



Nobuhiko: "I guess this rain will not stop, huh?"


Nobuyuki: "And Takuma-san is dead serious with his practice."


Takanori: "Where is Yuki? He should be just around the corner."


Motoharu: "You know... I think he should really be arriving. Those two have to finish the race before the fog kicks in."


And then finally, Yuki arrives.

Tagging along with him is Ichishima. They park just behind the support van.



Yuki: "Huh? Where is Takuma?"


Takanori: "He is doing some practice. But he'll be back."


Yuki: "We'll start once he returns."


Takanori: "Oh... okay."



When I arrived, Yuki is already there. So there is no more time to practice, eh?



Takuma: "Motoharu, fill the tank with 10 liters of gasoline. After that, we'll start the race."


Motoharu: "Understood, sir."


While filling up, I saw Yuki's determination in his eyes. I've never seen him like that....



Yuki: "I will be the one doing the chasing."


Takuma: "Is that so? Well, I'm fine with any start position, anyway. Once my FD's done filling up, we're ready to go."


Motoharu: "Fill up is done! We can go anytime!"


And so we lined up our cars at the starting point.

Yuki: "Nobu-senpai. Please watch me. I will show you how much I have improved. I am always interested in gauging myself against my cousin..."

Takanori: "All right! Let's start in 3... 2... 1... GO!!!"



Let's go!

Ichishima: "Oh, this is unexpected, the S2000 and the FD are equal in acceleration."


Motoharu: "That's because Takuma-san decided to keep the FD's power to a minimum. And any power increase will only make him stress out because of the slippery road surface."


Takanori: "But that is surprising. How come a naturally-aspirated S2000 can accelerate like that?"


Ichishima: "That's because that S2000 weighs less than a ton despite only having 380 horsepower."


Takanori: "Less than a ton!?"


Ichishima: "Do the math, and it has a way better power-to-weight ratio than the FD right now."


Takanori: "So many factors are against Aniki right now."


Ichishima: "Even though both cars have 50:50 weight distribution, the FD is more likely to lose control than the S2000. The boost of a turbo can make the wheels spin excessively that the car will easily oversteer."



Back at the race...

Yuki: "Where are they? Where are those wings?"

Yuki: "I didn't come all the way here to see nothing!"

Yuki: "If you hide those dragon wings, then I'll be the one pulling them out for you!"



End of Page 20

 

[AudiMan2011]

So it begins... 👍

 

[SomePlayaDude]

IMHO I'm worried about Yuki turning into the Outlaw of Japan.

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 21 - Touge Monster's Death


Not bad.... Yuki's S2000 can keep pace with my 400 horsepower FD. I don't want to end this one too easy.

Yuki: "I will be the one pulling out your dragon wings. Sorry, I have to get rough on you."



At a short straight, his S2000 can even draft behind me. Should this FD have 480 horsepower, I can simply fly away, but I can't do that. It will sacrifice my control on this wet road!

Approaching the corner! Brake... heel-and-toe, and shift down to 2nd.

Yuki: "No... don't brake late! You're a fool! It's raining!"



Dammit! I'm still too fast for the turn. I'm very open for overtaking! I'm even frantically adjusting the accelerator inputs!

Yuki: "Well then, maybe this will unleash the dragon! Let's see if you can keep up!"

As a result, he quickly overtakes me. And... whoa! He can control that S2000 at the gutters!?

His mastery for the touge is no joke... it's like an extension of his house.

I'm too wide again! Gotta countersteer! And then apply Inertia Drift on the next corner!

Keep your cool, Takuma. Keep your cool!

Yuki: "I guess that was too much. However, I can't lose to a relative, either! You and Takanori aren't the only ones that are among the fastest!"


Not only I'm struggling to control the peaky FD, but also my opponent is getting away! I have to overtake him if I have to win this!

If I apply just a bit of pressure on the accelerator, the FD will slide. But if I let off, I will be left behind! This road has gotten too slippery! What should I do!?

Suddenly, I'm falling behind even on the straight. Why!?

NO!!!

The boost dropped! I tried accelerating further, but the needle won't rise! I feel a significant loss of power!

Wake up, FD! WAKE UP!!! We're all in this together, right!? YOU GOTTA HANG ON!!!








Meanwhile, back at the starting point, the inevitable happened. The fog spreads quickly.


Takanori gets the report of Takuma being overtaken.


Takanori: "What!? Aniki is overtaken!?"

Motoharu: "Oh no... it's too late. The fog appeared! The White Wall... On a race track, it's a standard procedure that a red flag would be waved to postpone the race. But here... this fog will test the guts of the racers!"




End of Page 21

 

[AudiMan2011]

Takuma's in trouble now...

 

[Ruby Kyrie]

Hmm, hmm hmm~

I wonder how this will end~~?

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 22 - The Dragon Within




The FD's twin sequential turbos suddenly got shot.... why? You're the ones that breathe life for the FD! I guess I have demanded too much once again, like the transmission failure from Shin's FD. I'm such a failure...

...but you did well, FD. I guess it's time for me to concede.

At the starting point, Takanori is observing the thickness of the fog.



Takanori: "The two are in deep trouble. But I guess Yuki can sort this out, since he mastered this mountain pass anyway."




Tatsuru: "That's where you're wrong, Takanori."




Takanori: "Why?"


Tatsuru: "You know, this fog is on Takuma's side."



Nobuhiko: "A blessing in disguise?"



Tatsuru: "Yuki isn't perfect, either. While he did master the mountain passes of this country, that's only because he relies on the landmarks. He uses them where to brake, accelerate, and turn. I told you back then that when he's new to a mountain pass, he observes the features first just to see those landmarks. But with this fog, it's all useless!"



Takanori: "You can't see in the fog! Even Aniki needs the guidance of the front runner."



Tatsuru: "Then Takuma must resort to his reckless aggression he's famously known for."




Back in the race, Yuki finally meets the sight of the thick fog.

Yuki: "No way! A thick fog! What should I do!?"


Great... just as about the race is nearing its end, the fog kicked in.

With my foot still hard on the accelerator, the S2000 pulls away. I guess there's no glimmer of hope for my turbos, huh?

Yuki: "I don't see any of the landmarks. I've got to be really careful! All that matters now is to finish the race in one piece!"

Eh? Something's off with Yuki's pace. I think he's cautious, knowing how thick the fog is.


Exiting the corner, I accelerated. And suddenly.... I FELT A STRONG KICK IN ACCELERATION! I looked at the boost gauge, and the boost returns at 1.0 kg/cm2! All right FD, WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS!

But strangely, Yuki is slowing down. However...

...NO ATTACK. NO CHANCE!!!

Yuki: "You fool! You're accelerating in the midst of this thick fog!? You don't even know what's coming next!"

I finally took the lead once again. I shall show you how to be reckless! That's what you lack, Yuki!

Yuki, you have to be reckless once in a while. How ironic, I thought street racers are known for that. If you're being too cautious, it won't bring you to glory.

Yuki: "It's not just wings.... It's the Black Dragon! I finally saw it!"

Yuki: "And he's brave.... the fog doesn't scare him at all."

The goal is just around the corner...

Yuki: "I told you, Mom. Dragons exist."

And I crossed the line. Thank you, FD. Thank you. You can rest now. I'll have the turbos replaced.


That acceleration back there, it's a miracle. I never believed that there's a miracle, until this one proved me that there is.


At the starting point, Takanori gets a phone call from Takuma, reporting the win.


Takanori: "Yossha!!! Aniki wins again!"



Nobuhiko: "As expected from Takuma-san."



Nobuyuki: "He is the most reckless person I've ever known! No one is brave enough to drive when the visibility is zero!"




We returned. And then I told Motoharu the problem, and he opens the hood to inspect the damaged turbos.


Motoharu: "You know, all I can say is, that you've experienced a small miracle."



Takuma: "I agree."




Motoharu: "Don't worry though, it'll take just a while to replace those turbos."





Then Yuki approaches me, with a smile.


Yuki: "Hey. That was a nice run."



Takuma: "Indeed. And as expected from a Kanonji, you made me sweat a lot, and even this FD's turbos gave up. But they suddenly worked again to make sure I take back the lead."



Yuki: "I've learned a lot from this experience. Thank you very much."



Takuma: "You know what, I'm glad that you're my cousin. You are like a little brother to us, that makes us happy. And I gotta praise you for your improved confidence. Keep that up. The Dream Alliance will continue to face the challenges, and you must be tough to face all of them, as they are more difficult than before."




Yuki: "I'll be ready, then. I'm not going to fail this team!"





All right, I'll be expecting Yuki to be tougher than before. He's always part of the Dream Alliance, and there's a reason why he deserves to be a member. His stay in the team changed him a lot.



And we all go home. I left the FD under the care of Motoharu, to replace the turbos.


End of Page 22

 

[AudiMan2011]

Awesome work.

 

[SomePlayaDude]

I can't get a grip on the atmosphere if this is the end race. But, great job nonetheless.

Also a side note: Clark Kayne isn't just a regular man, if Jacob says this "Messiah" is worshipped by at least half of the world's street racers.

 

[Ruby Kyrie]

I am curious....do you actually know the course layout of the touge you choose? LOL

Also...I think your aura effects can be improvised more. They still look kinda...flat. xD

But on the story...I do like the result, even though it's predictable in some sense. keep it up, bro.

 

[RCKakashi14]

I'll end up too geeky if I am to be specific about the details of the touge. Leave that to Yuki.

I intend to keep the auras that way, as I don't want to emphasize further of them. This is not Dragon Ball.

 

[Ruby Kyrie]

I think it's already quite overkill with dragons lolololololol. But I get your meaning.

Also, I would like you to be specific on the touge you choose because I have a bit of trouble keeping up on which section is happening what.

If you like I can show you the course layout on some courses that I know. =D

Like Nagao:

or Tsukuba:

It's much better than have readers imagine the scene themselves. Lul.

P.S: The reason why I want you to do this is because I want you to put more effort in making things easier for the readers to grasp the scene. It's for the better of them.

While I do notice some of your readers only commented on one or two lines then left, I want you to make things a little more comfortable for my eyes at least so I don't need to scratch my head in confusion when a race scene is happening. xD

 

[RCKakashi14]

The reason why I'm not specific with the touge is because they don't exist in GT5. Mt. Aso is quite disappointing as it's not long enough, and doesn't have a day/night cycle.

And even if I were to be specific, those who are familiar with those mountain passes will probably laugh, as they see that they are nowhere near to the ones in real life.

So instead, I do put the Prefectures as the setting.

Hopefully, the Course Maker in GT6 is much, much better.

 

[Ruby Kyrie]

Ah...I see. Understandable then.

And yeah, Aso could've been longer, even though that's not how the real one's supposed to be. xD

I'll rejoice if GT6 has Pikes Peak xD

 

[RCKakashi14]

Page 23 - Shaping Up

Location: CIA Headquarters, Tokyo
Time: Friday, 9 pm

Nigel is in Agent Clinton's office, looking at the large window that overviews the Tokyo skyline. He is waiting for Sayuki and Clinton to arrive. He is gathering data while waiting.


Nigel: "Five Cloaked Men on Sight. Data relevant to the upcoming NH Phase 3 project."

The two agents arrive, and they open up Clinton's PC.

Clinton: "Sorry to keep you waiting, Nigel. Thank you for arriving here in Japan on such short notice. I know it's troublesome for you, but we really need you.

Nigel: "It's okay, sir. I am also here to see my teammates."

Sayuki: "You also claimed that you saw those five NH 3rd Phase specimens here in Japan as well."


Nigel: "I saw them holding stopwatches and are scattered throughout the touge during the duel between Takuma-san and Motoya Iwasaki."

Sayuki: "They must have been collecting data, then. Particularly from the Dream Alliance."

Clinton: "Shall we inform the team?"

Sayuki: "Only one person. I will call Hiroyuki Hiramoto-san for this. He will be the one formulating a plan against those five."

Nigel: "Oh, this just came in my memory banks. There is one female member among those five. And they were built to have fake emotions."

Clinton: "Of course, they are robots."

Sayuki: "Still, I am worried. What if they can actually fend for themselves too? After all, it's not just Nobuhiko's racing prowess they have."

Clinton: "It's not enough for Takuma and Nobuhiko to use their martial arts prowess. If they are sighted by the Dream Alliance, they must inform us immediately, as a Destroy-On-Sight order is now in effect."

Sayuki: "But let them take those matters into their own hands. Hiroyuki-san would surely want to prove something...

Speaking of which, I'll call him right now."


Sayuki grabs her smartphone from her pocket and calls Hiroyuki...

Nigel, on the other hand, still can't hide his worries.


**************************************************************************************

Location: Suzuka Circuit, Mie Prefecture
Time: 10:30 am, the next day


The entire team is here, as ordered by Hiroyuki-san. Well, we have no pending car review filming for now, so it's a day-off for us.

He asked me to set a lap time with my FD. The Touge Monster FD is still in the garage, though, as the parts are not yet available.

My fastest one among the three FDs. I use this for serious time attack records or when things get really tough. You've seen this already, for sure.

I crossed the line in...

Nobuhiko: "1 minute and 58.2 seconds. But you know what, I must improve as well. I cannot afford to slouch...

...especially that I have yet to beat him!"

Takanori: "Mmmmmmm..... Chocolate...."


Hiroyuki: "What's the lap time?"

Nobuhiko: "1 minute and 58.2 seconds."

Hiroyuki: "Good. I will write something in a diary. This session is solely for Nobuyuki's training."

Nobuyuki: "Really?"

Hiroyuki: "I am tapping the ability within you. I'm sure you know what it is."

Nobuyuki: "Ability?"

Hiroyuki: "You're not aware of it? You'll be, soon enough."


I returned to the pit garage. Hiroyuki-san is writing something on a notebook. Then he gives it to Nobuyuki.

Hiroyuki: "Your task for today is to match these lap times I've written. For the 10th lap, however, you must beat Takuma's lap time."

Nobuyuki: "What!? These are slower than Takuma-san's time. This is too easy."

Hiroyuki: "I didn't ask you to beat them. Match them. I can forgive if you set a few hundred milliseconds faster or slower. But I will not tolerate if they're half or a full second slower or faster. This is actually derived from Sir Ben's training for Takuma, but I've altered it for a different purpose. You shall repeat from the start if you made mistakes.

Just set off, and you'll realize it sooner or later, the purpose of this training. You shall be doing this weekly until the FIA GT3 season starts."

Yuki: "That's a tough training module."


Nobuyuki: "I'll be off. I am not sure if I can master this today."


He sets off, with the training module in effect.


Nobuhiko: "Oyaji, isn't this a bit too rough?"

Hiroyuki: "It's just fine. And I don't expect him to master it in one sitting. That "special ability" of his will be the key for winning the FIA GT3 series!"

Hiroyuki: "Nobuyuki... you should be the one that realized it first. Your STAMINA is your greatest asset! It's easy to go fast, just step hard on the pedal; but that will put unnecessary stress on both the car and you! This training is for you to learn on how to conserve your strength and then go all-out at the end.

I have learned our opponents through Sayuki last night. And, I definitely won't lose to those robots! I shall prove to them, that...


...Humans are still capable of creating wonders! You cannot measure a human's abilities through data alone. Nobuyuki is our team's HUMAN BATTERY!

I SHALL NOT REST UNTIL ALL THOSE NH ROBOTS ARE DEFEATED AND PUT TO JUSTICE!!!"


**************************************************************************************


Location: Gunma Prefecture
Time: 4:30 pm

Keiichi Tsuchiya: "At the end... I'm still the King of The Hill!"

THE END

​

Thank you all for taking time and reading all of my GT5-based fanfics. It's a good one year of thinking, writing, and even staging duels with you, guys.

The GT6-based sequel will definitely push through. Maybe the start of next year, it will be posted. I must get familiar with GT6's features first.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

 

[AudiMan2011]

Great end to the GT5 stories. Bring on GT6.

 

[SomePlayaDude]

The end. 👍

Now i better get to work to perfect my ending. The scale is a lot larger than i would anticipate.

 

[Ruby Kyrie]

So we have robot battles in future. Might as well sit through it to the end until GT6 comes out.

Also...Tsuchiya's appearance seemed slightly random here, but given how much fanbase it is about touge and pro-racing, I suppose it's understandable you want to make a mention.

Well...good end I guess.

 

[nk4e]

And I am thinking of Kyoko vs Keisuke battle.

 

[RCKakashi14]

COFFEE BREAK!

The end. 👍

Now i better get to work to perfect my ending. The scale is a lot larger than i would anticipate.

I'm expecting for that.



Oh, here are the duels from the sequel that I'll spill for now:

Hiroyuki vs. Ryuji
Takuma vs. Nobuhiko



About The Boom, I have started writing on it, but I am pouring my focus in the sequel, The Boom will probably be published around February or March. I intended to revive The Boom since GT6 has plenty of Premium model classic cars. Although what still turns me off is the Standard Hakosuka GT-R model.

 

[nk4e]

Coffee Break includes small mini-games and hitting bowling pins.

 

[RCKakashi14]

I know. Haha

I just use that term here to have a small talk about plans and other stuff.