"…"
"…"
"Hah...?"
The entire track fell silent, and the once lively stands went completely quiet as well.
A moment later—
"Hahahahahaha... what the hell is this?! Did someone hire a clown for pre-race entertainment? This is new, hahaha!"
"I don't think so. Look, he's wearing racing gear too. Someone check that guy's racer profile, hurry."
"Got it. Wait, what the hell? Level 1 rider, zero race history?!"
"What?! His Mecha Human is Chaos-type, and only C-rank?! Is he trying to kill himself on a mountain pass?!"
"Boo! Wannabes like you should go play somewhere else. This isn't your playground, hahaha!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Mocking laughter echoed from both the stands and the surrounding riders.
As for Dante, after snapping back to his senses and hearing those words, he looked at Jawed with a hint of helplessness. After a moment, he sighed:
"Hey man, I get it, you're just a die-hard fan trying to get attention. But copying me by using a Chaos-type Mecha Human on such an unsuited track just to look cool? That's no different from suicide for an amateur like you. I can even guess that you've probably dumped all your runes into speed instead of useful stats like friction, flexibility, or mass. So just leave the field, this isn't a place for games. And if you still stay..."
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, like a tiger stalking its prey.
"I'll show you just how brutal the world of racers can be."
Hearing the threat, Jawed remained silent.
The atmosphere grew tense. The audience murmured, eagerly waiting for drama.
And then, before everyone's eyes, the young man turned around, slowly walking toward a girl waiting in the distance, who handed him a cup of juice bought from a nearby stall. He took it, chatted with her, and calmly drank.
Such a peaceful scene.
Everyone else:...
Dante:...
"...Hah???"
***
"Hey partner, they seem to be paying attention to you. Um, what did you just do?" While sipping the passion fruit juice Jawed had picked for her, Halley asked.
"Well, it's nothing much. Just an old habit of mine."
Jawed recalled, back when he had already become the undefeated rider, some racers in every race would asked him to point out who might be able to finish right behind him.
He had no idea why they wanted him to look at them with arrogance and speak in a disdainful tone, but since it made them happy, he went along with it anyway.
Of course, he was only guessing based on their abilities, so it wasn't guaranteed to be correct.
Even so, more and more people kept asking him to do it. Why?! He had no idea. And eventually, it became a habit he did before every race.
"Anyway, it's time for us to get ready for the race, right, Halley?" Jawed changed the subject.
"Mm." The girl nodded, then gently closed her eyes.
At that very moment, crimson holographic panels appeared out of thin air around her. Countless strange symbols filled them, densely packed.
Then, the panels compressed inward, forming a cocoon around her body. A brilliant, blinding red light flared up.
When the light faded, the figure of the girl was gone. In her place stood the same YZF-R1 as before.
"Alright, let's see... ah, here it is."
Following the instructions, Jawed operated Halley's instrument cluster, bringing up a transparent 3D circular board.
"So this is the rune board."
Jawed took out a pouch filled with crystals. These were called runes, which could be slotted into this board to increase a Mecha Human's stats. This was just the free beginner pack provided by the Union, so they were all Level I runes.
There were runes that increased speed, stability, and even attributes like mass and tire friction. Each type of rune for the same stat could only be equipped up to 10 pieces.
There were 30 empty slots on the board. Depending on the track, he would choose 30 suitable runes to equip.
Come to think of it, it was rather strange. Clearly, Halley's form was modeled after the YZF-R1, meaning her aerodynamics and engine type should be similar. Therefore, she should have performance on par with that vehicle, one of the top machines in the racing world. And yet, her power was determined purely by her stats, with no relation to her form at all
Anyway, putting that aside for now. Jawed turned his gaze toward the surrounding racers—speed-obsessed amateurs.
And that blond guy as well, the one who might end up second.
"Then, let's go with this."
Jawed picked out several runes for speed, acceleration, and reduced mass. And also—
"increase x2 acceleration chance?"
***
"Ahem, the race is about to begin. Racers, please gather at the starting line. Hurry up, please, every second we delay costs me a day's pay!" Larry's pleading voice echoed through the system once again.
At the starting line, the blond man put on his helmet and adjusted the rune board for his Mecha Human.
"What's with that guy? Such a weirdo!" Recalling the silver-haired guy from earlier, Dante couldn't help but feel irritated. After all, he had been completely ignored.
"Calm down, bro. He's not even your opponent anyway," chibi Stak spoke up to reassure him.
Hearing that, Dante's expression eased slightly.
"Fine. But you're missing something, my brother. More correctly, at this point, who in this underground scene could even be our opponent?" Dante suddenly said arrogantly.
"Well, I'm not so sure about that."
"What's there to doubt, man? Haven't we, you and I, been through countless tough races together? By now, By now, aren't we far above all these amateurs in this little pond?"
Dante clenched his fist, a vision of stepping into the major races flashing through his mind.
"And then, soon enough, we'll enter the official races and crush those arrogant self-proclaimed professional racers. Let's show them what real skill looks like. Hahahaha!"
His triumphant laughter burst out, brimming with confidence in absolute victory.
***
Dong... Dong—
"The clock has struck. It's time for the starting countdown, 10 seconds!"
[10]
...
VRRRRRRRRRRRR—!
The engines roared in unison along the starting line, syncing with the pounding heartbeat of the crowd in the stands.
In contrast, for Jawed, the world fell into silence. No sound remained, except for the MC's countdown.
His eyes locked onto the horizon of the track, his mind sinking into an undisturbable focus.
"Hey, um... partner." Suddenly, a single voice reached his ears. It was Halley's
"Hm?"
"Is this your first race?"
"Well, in a way, yes, it is." Jawed replied while making final adjustments.
"I see. In a way, it's my first time too." The girl answered, then fell silent.
Jawed didn't press further. While waiting, he leaned low and forward, almost pressing against the motorbike
[8]
His left hand squeezed the clutch, his right hand lightly rolled on the throttle.
The tachometer needle hovered near the redline, the traction control light flickering wildly.
[7]
Halley's engine roared higher, vibrations coursing through his entire body.
"…"
"Then... if we lose, will you be disappointed?" Halley spoke again.
Jawed paused for a moment, then answered:
"Well, not exactly. I mean, emotions aren't that predictable. Who knows how we'd feel if we lost? And who says winning would surely be fun? Maybe losing would make you happier, if you get paid to throw the match?"
He said it jokingly. After all, he had never lost from throwing a race before, nor had he ever lost.
"Well, enough beating around the bush. I think instead of worrying whether the result will disappoint us, why not think about what result we want? So, what about you? Do you want to win or lose?"
"Mm... maybe it doesn't matter that much. But... if possible, I still want me, us to win."
"Then we'll win, and only think about how it feels when winning. Okay?"
"Um."
....
"Then, it's about time, isn't it?"
[3]
..
[2]
.
One!
The instant the starting signal blared, Jawed's left hand released the clutch, light like almost weightless, his right hand twisted the throttle hard.
Rrrrr—!
The tires pressed tightly against the ground, growling with a low, cold sound.
WHOOOOM—!
The Mecha motorbike tore through the dense air, shooting forward like an AWM bullet!
A crushing force pressed against the young man's entire body.
Acceleration exploded from 0 to its peak in an instant.
This was—a perfect holeshot!
Behind him, Dante's eyes widened. Not just him; every other racer was left gaping.
"What... what the hell was that?!"
...