It was another clear day.
The skies above Hakone were a brilliant autumn blue, visibility stretching far across the mountains. Below, Lake Ashi—also known as Lake Hakone—was alive with tourists, the seasonal rush in full swing as winter slowly approached.
The Hakone Turnpike Sky Lounge, however, was fairly quiet.
Most visitors had already continued downward toward the lake, leaving the upper sections of the turnpike calm and open. Only a handful of cars made their way uphill, engines echoing faintly through the trees.
Among them were four familiar faces.
Agnes Tachyon.
Maruzensky.
Tokai Teio.
Silence Suzuka.
They were midway through the climb, cruising at a relaxed pace—learning the road, memorizing braking points, elevation changes, and camber shifts rather than pushing for speed.
Inside Tachyon's S30Z, the cabin was quiet.
Tachyon wasn't driving.
That responsibility belonged to Manhattan Cafe, seated behind the wheel, both hands resting lightly at nine and three. Her grip was controlled but relaxed, the Devil Z responding calmly under her inputs.
Tachyon adjusted her seating position, straightening slightly before glancing toward Cafe.
"How's the car feel for you, Cafe?"
Cafe smiled faintly and nodded.
"I might be thinking about that whole 'impossibly hard to control' reputation," she said, "but honestly… it's pretty good to drive."
Tachyon chuckled, shaking her head.
"Did you not see what nearly happened yesterday? I almost kissed the guardrail at Haruna."
Cafe raised one hand slightly.
"Let me finish, Tachyon."
She returned her hand to the wheel, eyes forward.
"On a relaxed cruise like this, it's very manageable."
She glanced sideways at Tachyon.
"But driving the way you did at Haruna?"
Cafe shook her head once.
"I'll take my Blackbird back, thank you very much."
Tachyon laughed softly.
"Fair enough."
Cafe nodded, then added calmly,
"And I won't lie—this car really suits you."
Tachyon raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah? How so?"
Cafe smirked, gesturing lightly as she explained.
"This thing is an experiment. Small chassis. Big horsepower."
Tachyon nodded.
"Okay…"
"And that's exactly why it fits you," Cafe continued. "It's the perfect example of how to take a perfectly reasonable daily driver…"
She paused.
"…and turn it into something that can kill you if you even look at it funny."
Tachyon let out a short laugh.
"Alright. I'll give you that."
The two continued talking as the group rolled steadily uphill, engines humming in sync.
Inside Suzuka's NSX, the atmosphere was different.
Silence Suzuka wasn't driving either.
She sat in the passenger seat, eyes constantly scanning the road ahead—corners, guardrails, shadows, subtle elevation changes. Every detail was being silently catalogued.
At the wheel was Special Week.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter than necessary, though her posture remained steady within the NSX's bucket seat. She stole a glance toward Suzuka, then back to the road.
"U-Um… Suzuka-san?"
Suzuka turned her head slightly.
"Spe?"
Special Week nodded.
"Thank you… for trusting me with your car."
Suzuka's expression softened. She smiled gently.
"No need to thank me, Spe-chan. Besides, you have a license. You should make use of it."
Special Week nodded quickly.
"R-Right!"
Suzuka chuckled quietly.
"Don't stress yourself out. Just focus on the road."
"I—I will!"
Suzuka shook her head lightly, amused.
"Relax. Just drive normally. I'm not judging."
That seemed to ease Special Week's nerves—if only a little.
Up front, the Countach led the pack.
Maruzensky cruised smoothly, keeping a comfortable gap to prevent anyone behind from rushing or losing focus while learning the course. One hand rested on the steering wheel.
The other held her phone.
Speaker mode.
"So," she said casually, "you're outside Tokyo right now?"
A familiar voice answered on the other end.
"Yeah. Running a few… errands. Planning to do some runs in Hakone soon."
Maruzensky nodded.
"Perfect timing. Me, Teio, and Suzuka-chan are already here. Just learning the road for now—full runs later."
She smiled.
"Brought Cafe, Tachyon, and Spe-chan along too."
There was a brief pause on the line.
"Ah… that's nice."
Then—
A sharp, unmistakable sound came through the phone.
The solid slam of a lightweight carbon door.
"All right," the voice continued. "I'll see you soon, then."
Maruzensky brought the phone closer to her ear.
"Sounds good."
The line disconnected.
She placed the phone on the passenger seat, eyes forward again.
"I know you've got your other car out," she muttered to herself. "Hell… maybe you're already here."
She smiled faintly.
"I'm sure we'll cross paths."
The Countach downshifted from fifth to fourth.
Maruzensky pressed the throttle just a little harder.
The four cars continued their climb toward the summit of the Hakone Turnpike.
Eight more minutes passed before they finally reached the top.
One by one, the cars rolled into a scenic parking area overlooking Lake Ashi, engines settling into idle before falling silent. From this elevation, the lake stretched wide and calm below, its surface reflecting the reds and golds of autumn.
Special Week leaned against the railing, eyes wide.
"Whoaa… Lake Ashi looks amazing during autumn!"
Teio nodded enthusiastically beside her, also resting against the guardrail.
"Right? It's seriously beautiful!"
A short distance away—between Teio's R34 and Tachyon's S30Z—stood Maruzensky, Suzuka, Tachyon, and Cafe.
Maruzensky was clearly irritated.
She leaned against the left rear quarter panel of her Countach, arms crossed, her right foot tapping against the tarmac in a steady, impatient rhythm.
"I don't like this," she said flatly. "Too many sections are blocked off with barriers. Especially the technical turns."
Suzuka sighed, nodding in agreement.
"That's just how it is. Public road. Nothing we can really do about it."
Cafe slipped her hands into her jacket pockets.
"I mean, you can still run laps for practice," she said calmly. "There's barely any traffic right now."
Maruzensky and Suzuka exchanged a glance.
Suzuka then turned to Cafe.
"I don't see why not."
She looked back at Maruzensky.
"What do you think?"
Maruzensky scoffed lightly, then nodded.
"Hmph. Why the hell not?"
She pushed herself off the Countach and walked to the left scissor door, lifting it upward before sliding into the cockpit. A moment later, the door slammed shut with a heavy, solid thud.
Suzuka exhaled and turned to Tachyon and Cafe.
"We'll be back soon. Let you know if anything happens."
Tachyon nodded.
"Hopefully nothing does. See you in a bit."
The Countach came alive.
Its twin-turbo V12 roared through the parking area, raw and violent.
Maruzensky dumped the clutch.
The rear wheels instantly broke traction, spinning wildly as the engine screamed toward redline. Rubber flew across the asphalt.
Tachyon, Cafe, and Suzuka all turned away instinctively, raising their arms to shield their faces as bits of shredded tire peppered the air.
The Countach shot out of the parking lot, snapping into a brutal 180-degree spin around the guardrail at the entrance before rocketing down the straight and disappearing into the descent.
Tachyon squinted, hand shading her eyes as she watched it vanish.
"Jeez… Maruzensky really isn't in the mood today, huh?"
Suzuka leaned back against the S30Z's quarter panel, shaking her head.
"That's Maruzen. When she's angry, she drives like a bat out of hell."
Footsteps suddenly echoed behind them.
They turned as Teio and Special Week came sprinting over, stopping in front of Tachyon and Cafe.
"Tachyon-san! Cafe-san! Suzuka-san!" Special Week called out.
Teio glanced around, confused.
"H-Huh? Where's Maruzen-san?"
Suzuka sighed, pushing herself off the S30Z.
"She went off for practice runs. Didn't take the road closures very well."
She scratched the back of her head.
"When she gets like that… she goes flat out."
Cafe chuckled softly.
"That's Maruzen for you."
Suzuka nodded once.
"Anyway, I'll do a few runs myself. See you all soon."
The others nodded and waved as Suzuka walked to her NSX, opening the driver's door and settling inside. She shut it gently.
She pulled the green five-point Takata harness over her shoulders and buckled it with a firm click, tugging each strap tight until the belts sat snug against her suit.
Next, she adjusted the seat—pulling the lever, pushing back slightly with her legs—then checked her mirrors.
Perfect.
Suzuka inserted the key and twisted it.
The stroked 3.1-liter supercharged C30A roared to life, its note sharp and purposeful.
She eased out of the parking lot.
Then, once clear—
She floored it.
The NSX surged forward and disappeared down the mountain pass.
Tachyon turned to Teio.
"What about you, Teio? You gonna do some runs too?"
Teio shook her head.
"Nah. Takes too much time to set the car up for roads like this."
She glanced at Tachyon.
"You?"
Tachyon shook her head.
"Not really. I don't feel like pushing what I've got. Besides—this thing's built for the Shuto, not mountain passes."
Teio raised an eyebrow.
"Handled Haruna pretty well yesterday, though."
Tachyon shrugged.
"Not really. It was all over the place on the climb—and worse on the way down."
Teio scratched her head.
"Ah…"
Tachyon then looked at Cafe.
"You?"
Cafe shook her head.
"Same reason as you."
Tachyon nodded.
"Fair enough."
Then—
A new sound cut through the air.
A deep, aggressive engine note echoed up the pass.
Teio's ears snapped upright as she straightened instantly.
"…Hey. I recognize that engine note anywhere."
Before anyone could respond—
A car blasted past the parking area at high speed.
Blue-orange flames spat violently from its HKS exhaust as the driver lifted off the throttle, snapped an upshift, then buried the accelerator again.
The car was gone almost as soon as it appeared.
A metallic cyan-green Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R—charging down the mountain pass like it had something to prove.
Teio crossed her arms, tail swaying slightly.
"Huh. Looks like someone else is doing practice runs too."
Cafe nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the road below.
"Mhm…"
Then her gaze sharpened.
"But for some reason… that car looks familiar. Like I've seen it parked at Tracen before."
Tachyon raised an eyebrow.
"You sure it wasn't just a similar build?"
Cafe nodded.
"I'm sure. Though it could be a Group A JTCC replica—those Kyoseki R32s are pretty common among enthusiasts."
Teio nodded.
"Fair point."
Tachyon glanced between them before turning to Cafe.
"Speaking of the time attack events… who exactly is this 'Emperor' driver I heard about yesterday?"
Cafe blinked once.
"…Ah. The Emperor."
She lowered her head slightly, tone becoming more serious.
"From what I've gathered, the Emperor is infamous for their so-called bad luck."
Teio raised an eyebrow.
"Bad luck?"
Cafe nodded.
"Years of fourth-place finishes. Consistently just missing the podium."
She continued calmly.
"Maruzensky, on the other hand, has podium finishes and even won last year—making her the defending champion."
Cafe glanced between Tachyon and Teio.
"Rumor says the Emperor does it intentionally. Staying just out of the spotlight to hide their identity."
Special Week leaned in slightly.
"Hide… their identity?"
Cafe nodded.
"Most photos from the events have the driver's face blurred or cut out. The car's windows aren't heavily tinted—it's deliberate."
Special Week swallowed.
"…What car does the Emperor drive?"
Cafe tapped her chin, thinking.
Then she looked at Special Week.
"An early-model Ferrari F40."
Teio's eyes widened instantly. Her tail stiffened before slowly relaxing as she stepped closer to Cafe.
"…WHAT?"
Tachyon leaned in as well.
"Isn't that… insanely rare?"
Cafe nodded.
"It is. Collectors have tried tracking the owner down for years. Every offer gets declined."
She leaned back against the R34's fender, turning toward the group.
"And it's not stock."
Their attention sharpened.
"Being an early F40, it still has sliding Lexan windows," Cafe continued.
"But the engine was taken straight from its racing counterpart—the F40 LM."
Teio's jaw tightened.
Cafe wasn't done.
"It keeps the standard transmission, clutch, and flywheel for road drivability. But the rear hatch, spoiler, splitter, suspension components, and wheels are all LM-spec."
Silence hung for a moment.
Then Teio spoke quietly.
"So what you're saying is…"
She looked back down the mountain pass.
"…The Emperor is driving a road-legal race car on public roads."
Cafe nodded once.
"…Basically, yes."
Time slipped by unnoticed.
The sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon.
Dusk settled over Hakone.
Maruzensky and Suzuka had returned.
Maruzensky sat casually on the door sill of her Countach, the left scissor door raised skyward. The engine ticked softly as it cooled. Suzuka leaned against the left rear quarter panel beside her, arms relaxed.
"That was a fun session, Maruzen," Suzuka said.
Maruzensky nodded, grinning.
"Definitely. Those sections with the barriers?"
She chuckled.
"They really make it fun to loosen the rear end."
Tachyon crossed her arms, amused.
"So you're in a better mood now, huh?"
Maruzensky nodded once.
"Yep."
Cafe stepped closer, leaning lightly against Suzuka's NSX.
"By the way… did either of you see an R32 GT-R out there?"
Maruzensky raised an eyebrow.
"R32?"
She and Suzuka exchanged a glance before turning back to Cafe.
"No," they answered together.
"Didn't see one."
As if on cue—
An engine note rolled into the parking area.
The same metallic cyan-green R32 GT-R eased in and stopped directly in front of Maruzensky's Countach.
Maruzensky glanced at it.
"Oh. You mean that R32?"
Her eyes flicked to the license plate.
"…That number looks familiar. Four-two-nine."
The right-hand driver's door opened.
A fellow Umamusume stepped out, waving casually.
"Hey! Figures you'd all be here too."
Maruzensky laughed, shaking her head.
"Well I'll be damned. King Halo."
King Halo chuckled back.
"Nice to see you too, Maruzen."
Maruzensky slid off the door sill and met her halfway. The two exchanged a firm handshake.
Suzuka smiled.
"Here to practice for the Hakone time trial in a couple of days?"
King Halo shook her head.
"Nope. I'm here refining the handling."
Suzuka blinked.
"Oh?"
King Halo nodded.
"Yeah. I'm tuning it to Group A JTCC R32 GT-R specs. Same suspension geometry and rates."
She glanced back at her car, smirking slightly.
"Went a bit further too. Installed an ATTESA E-TS system from an R34. Upgraded brakes. And pushed the engine to six-hundred-eighty-two horsepower."
Maruzensky whistled.
"Enough for the mountain passes—and still enough for the Shuto."
King Halo nodded.
"Exactly."
She crossed her arms, looking at the Countach.
"But still no match for that thing."
Maruzensky laughed, giving a playful wink.
"They don't call me the Queen of the Shuto Expressways for nothing."
King Halo nodded.
"Mhm."
Maruzensky checked the time on her phone.
"We should head out before it gets fully dark."
Suzuka pushed off the Countach.
"We're heading back to Tokyo anyway. Why not run as a convoy?"
King Halo nodded, lightly pumping her fist.
"Sounds good to me."
One by one, they returned to their cars.
Engines came alive.
The group rolled out of the parking area together, taillights glowing as dusk deepened over Hakone.
They didn't notice—
A lone car remained at the far end of the lot.
Its 2.9-liter flat-plane crank twin-turbo V8 idled quietly, restrained, almost patient.
The driver stood beside it, the Kevlar-carbon driver's door open.
She smirked.
"Figures you'd all be here too."
She slid into the seat.
Harness straps were pulled tight—five points locked in with a sharp click.
The door slammed shut.
The engine flared.
Tires shrieked as the F40 launched forward, revs snapping against the redline as it shot toward the exit.
The Emperor's chase had begun.
The convoy continued its descent down the Hakone Turnpike.
Maruzensky now trailed at the back.
Ahead of her, in order, were King Halo, Suzuka with Special Week, Tachyon with Cafe, and Tokai Teio leading the pack.
All five cars cruised at a legal pace.
They had left early—not only to avoid driving Hakone in full darkness, but also to stay ahead of the tourist traffic returning from Lake Ashi.
Inside Suzuka's NSX, Special Week slumped comfortably into the passenger-side bucket seat.
"It's so calm today…"
Suzuka chuckled softly.
"It really is, Spe-chan."
Special Week glanced toward her.
"When's the event again?"
Suzuka replied without hesitation.
"Wednesday."
Special Week nodded, lightly pumping her fist.
"I'll be there to support you, Suzuka-san!"
Suzuka smiled.
"Thank you, Spe-chan."
Inside Maruzensky's Countach, the mood was light.
She cruised in fifth gear, relaxed, one hand resting on the wheel.
"What a great couple of days…" she murmured.
Then—
Two distinctive pop-up headlights appeared in her rearview mirror.
Maruzensky smirked.
"I know that's you…"
She flicked her high beams once.
Ahead, Suzuka caught the signal in her mirror.
"Maruzensky wants us to pick up the pace."
Special Week's eyes widened.
"W-What? Now?!"
Suzuka flashed her own high beams forward.
A moment later—
Teio began accelerating.
The calm convoy dissolved instantly.
It became a full sprint toward the base of the mountain.
The six cars surged downhill, engines echoing through the pass.
For most of the course, positions remained unchanged.
Until the final sector.
They blasted through a straightaway.
Maruzensky glanced into her rearview mirror.
The F40 was still there.
Her eyes narrowed.
"I knew it… you're waiting for the right-hander."
She turned the wheel slightly left, setting the Countach up on the outside line.
At the same moment—
The F40 shifted right, diving toward the inside.
As the six cars entered the corner, Maruzensky began closing the gap.
Then she realized—
The F40 wasn't behind her.
It was alongside her rear quarter panel.
Maruzensky's eyes widened, ears snapping upright.
She slammed the brakes and yanked the wheel left.
The front tires locked briefly—understeer.
The F40 sliced through cleanly.
Maruzensky laughed, shaking her head.
"Heh… you've still got it. I can tell."
Ahead, King Halo saw it happen.
Her eyes widened.
"Who the hell are you?!"
They exited the corner onto a short straight.
The F40 surged forward, rapidly closing on King Halo's R32.
King Halo reacted, yanking the wheel left to block.
But it wasn't enough.
The F40's superior power pulled it alongside.
Halo spotted the F40's nose creeping ahead and slammed the brakes.
The R32's ABS prevented lockup—but the braking force pushed her wide on exit.
The F40 was through.
King Halo stared in disbelief.
"H-How… how is that even possible?!"
Now—
Suzuka was next.
Special Week called out, panic edging her voice.
"U-Uh, Suzuka-san! There's a car right behind us!"
Suzuka grit her teeth.
"I know, Spe… I know."
They entered a bridged left-hand bend.
The NSX carried strong entry speed, perfectly balanced.
Suzuka blipped the throttle rhythmically, coaxing the rear just enough to rotate the car mid-corner.
But the F40 closed in.
By the apex—
They were wheel to wheel.
Then Suzuka saw it.
A barrier ahead. Too close.
She slammed the brakes instinctively.
The rear snapped violently.
Suzuka reacted instantly—full countersteer.
The NSX swung sideways.
The F40 missed Suzuka's nose by inches and powered through.
Suzuka caught the slide, straightened the car, and chased after her.
"…Damn," she muttered. "That driver is good."
Special Week was breathing heavily now.
Suzuka glanced at her.
"Relax, Spe. We're okay."
Special Week shot her a look.
"Okay?! We almost hit the barrier!"
Suzuka exhaled sharply.
"I braked to keep space from that car. That's normal in racing. The rear-engine layout just rotated harder than I expected."
Her eyes returned to the road.
"But we're still in it."
It wasn't over.
Now it was Tachyon's turn.
She glanced into her mirror.
"Who is this person?!"
Cafe twisted slightly in her seat to look back.
"I don't know, Tachyon—but don't let her through!"
They entered a tree-covered section, branches forming a tunnel overhead.
The F40 surged forward.
Suddenly—
They were side by side.
Tachyon glanced right.
"She's taking the outside?!"
She hit the brakes.
The front-left locked briefly.
Tachyon eased off and fed the throttle back in.
Weight shifted.
The rear broke loose.
The S30Z slid sideways, rear quarter skimming dangerously close to the F40's left door.
Inside the F40—
The driver didn't flinch.
A quick glance left. Then back to the road.
"You're good, Tachyon… better than I expected."
Tachyon countersteered, feathering the throttle to stabilize the slide.
The rear snapped back into line on exit—
But the F40 was already ahead.
Cafe shook her head slowly.
"That driver's on another level… might even be professional."
Tachyon exhaled, eyes narrowing.
"…Nothing I could've done there."
She glanced forward.
"It's up to you now, Teio."
The road began to climb again.
The F40 fell back slightly.
Teio felt it immediately.
The R34's power advantage showed.
She glanced at her rear-view mirror and smirked.
"Eat my dust, you Italian thoroughbred!"
The two cars blasted through a gentle uphill right.
Then a shallow left.
But ahead—
A sharp left-hand corner.
Teio slammed on the brakes.
The Skyline's nose dove.
She downshifted hard—heel-and-toe through fourth, third, then second—long gear ratios forcing her to scrub more speed than she wanted.
This was the weakness of a Shuto Expressway setup.
She slowed too much.
The F40 closed in instantly.
Teio glanced at her left mirror.
"…Damn it. It's right behind me."
Her jaw tightened.
"Who are you…?"
She exhaled sharply.
"Kaichou… I wish you were here."
The left turn ended.
A right-hander followed immediately.
The R34 and the F40 entered side by side.
Then—
Understeer.
The Skyline drifted wide.
Straight toward the Ferrari.
Inside the F40—
The driver clutch-kicked.
The rear stepped out.
She caught it cleanly.
Teio's eyes widened.
"Shit!"
She slammed the brakes.
ABS chattered violently.
The Skyline slowed just enough.
The F40 slipped past.
Perfectly controlled.
A flawless four-wheel drift carried the Ferrari through the corner and onto the straight.
Inside the F40, the driver smirked.
"Let this be a lesson in overtaking, young Teio."
It was over.
Teio took a deep, shaky breath.
Then—
She flicked on her turn signal.
Ahead, the F40 disappeared downhill at full speed, blasting through the toll gate.
The barrier was raised—offline due to the event.
Free passage.
One by one, the others caught up.
The group pulled over just before the gate.
Engines idled.
Doors opened.
They gathered near Suzuka's NSX.
No one spoke at first.
Finally, Teio broke the silence.
"…Does anyone know who that F40 driver was?"
They exchanged glances.
Head shakes.
Shrugs.
No answers.
Only questions.
Who was the driver of that Ferrari F40?
And—
Was the Emperor a professional racer?