The gates of APEX Academy rose like the entrance to a fortress.
Kai Hayato slowed his car as he approached, eyes narrowing. Polished steel walls stretched endlessly on both sides, embedded with security cameras and holographic displays flashing the academy's emblem. Beyond the gates, he could see it—the racetrack, cutting through the campus like a scar of asphalt, wide enough for Formula cars to scream at full speed.
This wasn't a school.
It was a battlefield.
Security guards waved students through in waves. Luxury cars rolled in one after another—sleek supercars, professional transport vans, sponsored vehicles bearing racing logos. Engines purred softly, controlled, disciplined.
Then there was Kai.
His old street car coughed as it rolled forward.
The guard glanced at it, then at Kai. His eyebrow twitched.
"…Street racer?" the guard muttered under his breath.
Kai didn't respond. He stepped out, slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked past the gate. He could feel eyes on him immediately.
Whispers followed.
"That car barely belongs here." "Is he lost?" "Did security mess up?"
Kai ignored them all.
Let them talk.
He looked around, taking everything in—the massive garages, the engineering buildings, the private simulators visible through glass walls, the perfectly maintained practice circuits looping around the campus. This place was high-end, competitive, merciless.
And everyone here looked like they belonged.
Except him.
---
Over a hundred new students gathered near the main plaza, each radiating confidence. Racing suits branded with elite clubs. Drivers from famous junior leagues. Karting champions. Simulator specialists. Sponsored prodigies.
Kai stood among them wearing plain clothes.
The difference was obvious.
A staff member raised a hand.
"All new students, follow me to the auditorium."
The crowd moved.
As they entered, Kai felt it.
Pressure.
The auditorium was massive, tiered seating rising like a coliseum. And filling it already were another hundred students—the ones already enrolled at APEX Academy.
They didn't clap.
They didn't welcome.
They watched.
Eyes sharp. Cold. Measuring.
This wasn't an audience.
It was a wall of rivals.
Kai took a seat near the middle. His pulse was steady, but his instincts screamed. These weren't amateurs. These were the cream of the crop, forged by years of elite training.
A spotlight ignited on the stage.
Footsteps echoed.
A man walked out.
Silver hair. Tall. Lean. His posture was relaxed—almost lazy—but the moment he stepped into the light, the room suffocated. Conversations died instantly.
Rintaro Akagi.
Principal.
Head Coach.
The man who had declared war on the world of Formula racing.
He stood at center stage and looked down at the students as if inspecting livestock.
Then he spoke.
"Welcome."
His voice was calm. Too calm.
"Welcome, current students… and upcoming students."
He paused, eyes scanning the room slowly.
"The hundred new students sitting here today—don't misunderstand something."
Some of them straightened, expecting praise.
"You weren't invited because you're special."
A ripple of confusion.
"You were invited because you were convenient."
Murmurs broke out.
Akagi continued, unfazed.
"You came from the best clubs. The best crews. The best junior leagues. Congratulations."
He tilted his head slightly.
"That only means you've survived so far."
His gaze shifted toward the already enrolled students.
"And you—APEX regulars—don't look so proud."
Silence.
"You call yourselves the cream of the crop?"
A thin smile appeared.
"Then today, I'll start proving how rotten most of you are."
The room stiffened.
"You all know what happened three weeks ago."
The lights dimmed. A single image appeared behind him.
Liam Ferraro.
"Liam Ferraro is dead."
No softness. No respect in his tone.
"The world's number one Formula driver. Crushed during practice."
A few students swallowed hard.
"Tragic?" Akagi shrugged.
"Maybe."
"But here's the truth you're all too afraid to accept."
He leaned forward slightly.
"The world does not care."
The words hit harder than shouting ever could.
"The world needs a number one. It demands a number one."
"And if one disappears…"
His eyes sharpened.
"…another must take his place."
Kai felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"So let me ask you something," Akagi said.
"What makes a driver the greatest of all time?"
Silence.
"Talent?"
"Effort?"
"Passion?"
He scoffed.
"All garbage answers."
The screen behind him erupted—high-speed overtakes, brutal crashes, wheels colliding inches apart.
"The greatest driver is the one who survives pressure and evolves faster than everyone else."
He spread his arms.
"Welcome to the APEX Project."
The name alone carried weight.
"This program exists for one purpose—to create a monster."
A murmur spread.
"You will race every weekend."
"You will face drivers from across this country."
"And eventually…"
His smile widened.
"…from the rest of the world."
Foreign flags flashed behind him.
"They will come here to test you."
"To analyze you."
"To destroy you."
Akagi's voice dropped.
"And if you break?"
He shrugged.
"Good. That means you were never worthy."
The pressure in the room became suffocating.
"Everyone in this room is your enemy," he said flatly.
"The person sitting next to you?"
He glanced at the seats.
"Your rival."
A pause.
"And don't forget the ones outside this academy."
The flags burned brighter.
"The number one doesn't belong to a country."
"He steals the crown from all of them."
Kai's fists clenched.
Akagi straightened.
"APEX Academy has two divisions. Mechanics and racers."
He let the silence stretch.
"There are no mechanics here today."
Confusion rippled.
"Because mechanics don't matter until a driver proves he's worth serving."
A few students bristled.
"Each of you will be assigned four mechanics."
"They exist to sharpen your claws."
His eyes gleamed.
"I will break you."
"I will corner you."
"I will force you into impossible situations."
Then—slowly—
"I will watch who evolves."
The screen behind him shattered Liam Ferraro's image into fragments.
"We are not looking for the next Liam Ferraro."
Dead silence.
"We are looking for someone stronger."
His voice hardened.
"Someone more selfish."
"More ruthless."
"More obsessed."
Akagi leaned forward, eyes burning.
"To be the fastest alive—"
The entire room held its breath.
"—you must become the predator."
His gaze swept the auditorium… then stopped.
For half a second, his eyes locked onto Kai Hayato.
A smile—sharp and dangerous—curved his lips.
"And I hope," Akagi said quietly,
"that the monster I'm looking for… is already sitting in this room."
The lights cut out.
Silence thundered.
Kai's heart pounded.
This wasn't a school.
This was a hunting ground.
And for the first time since arriving—
Kai smiled.