Act:4 Chapter 3 | Modern Versus Classic. GT86 VS AE86

As the GT86 and the AE86 lined up side by side at the starting point of Amakane Pass, the air was thick with tension. The moment Beidou's hand dropped to signal the start, both Eula and Collei slammed their gas pedals to the floor.

The roar of engines shattered the silence of the mountainside as the two cars launched forward. Eula's GT86 had the advantage in acceleration, its 2.0-liter boxer engine delivering smooth, continuous power. The AE86, with its high-revving 4A-GE engine, followed close behind, slightly lagging in the initial launch but staying aggressive.

Collei clenched her teeth as she fought for control, the wheel vibrating in her hands. "Tch. She's fast, alright. But no matter what, I have to keep up!"

Eula took the lead as they barreled toward the first corner, but something curious was happening. Each time they entered a turn, the AE86 inched just a little closer. The way Collei handled her car was unnatural—it was as if she was replicating Eula's every move in real-time. Every feint, every braking point, every transition between grip and drift—Collei was matching it almost perfectly.

Eula glanced into her rearview mirror, her blue eyes flashing with intrigue. "She's mimicking me?"

The road twisted and coiled through the mountain, each corner sharper than the last. Eula was pushing her GT86 hard, and yet, every time she thought she was pulling away, Collei's headlights stayed stubbornly in her mirror.

Collei's fingers tightened around the wheel. "If she can handle this course with ease… so can I!"

She had no experience on Amakane Pass, but she didn't need it. She wasn't racing the track. She was racing Eula. Every move Eula made, she studied and replicated. Her AE86 was practically a shadow of the GT86 ahead of it, mimicking its lines, learning the rhythm of the course in real-time.

As the race surged forward, the immense focus required started to take its toll. Collei's breathing became uneven. Her vision blurred for a second. The sharp contrast of headlights, asphalt, and dark mountain shadows made it feel like the world was spinning.

"Shit… this feels like a goddamn roller coaster…!"

She shook her head, forcing herself to stay in the moment.

Up at the top of Amakane Pass, Beidou leaned against her R32, watching the distant glow of headlights as they danced down the mountain. "So that's what she meant by 'If one can do it, so can I.' She's mirroring Eula's technique on the fly."

Seele folded her arms, intrigued. "That's a solid strategy, but… that mindset gets a lot of people in trouble."

Amber smirked. "Normally, yeah. But this is Collei we're talking about. This is exactly what she does best. She's fought against faster, stronger opponents before—every single time, she finds a way to turn their own strengths against them."

The others fell silent, their eyes following the flickering headlights in the distance.

Far away in Yougou, Arlecchino exhaled a cloud of smoke from her cigarette, watching the embers glow faintly in the night air. She had just finished preparing a fresh batch of tofu for Collei's delivery run the next morning. Staring at the distant city lights, she muttered to herself, "So the kid went to Amakane Pass… and she's up against a GT86. Why a GT86?"

Back on the mountain, Collei's focus sharpened once more. She began to push harder, shifting into the aggressive racing mindset that had won her countless battles before. The AE86, light and nimble, handled the mountain roads with expert precision. Each turn felt smoother. Her braking was sharper. She was gaining.

The gap was shrinking.

Eula bit her lip. "She's catching up…"

Collei had memorized the way Eula moved through the course. She could predict the braking points, anticipate the acceleration zones. It was time to make her move.

In Araumi, Ningguang sat at her laptop, scrolling through data and course maps of Yougou Pass. She adjusted her glasses, tapping her fingers against the table as she analyzed her losses. "Keqing's RX-7, Yelan's Porsche Turbo… even Silverwolf's Integra DC2 in that damn Gum Tape Deathmatch. What makes the AE86 so damn effective?"

Her eyes traced the curves of the map, stopping at the five consecutive hairpin turns.

"...That's it."

Her mind clicked into place, formulating a counterattack for the future.

Back in the race, Collei's hands moved swiftly, expertly guiding the AE86 through a tricky left-hander. But then—

"Shit!"

She realized too late that her entry was slightly too wide. The AE86 skidded dangerously close to the guardrail, her rear bumper nearly grazing it.

Her heart skipped a beat. The sudden slip made the rear tires howl in protest as they lost traction. The balance of the car felt like it was teetering on the edge of chaos.

She yanked the wheel hard to correct, and the rear kicked out more than expected. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"Dammit! That was sloppy!"

The car lurched but stayed on track, and Collei forced herself to breathe, refocusing her thoughts. She knew better than to let panic take over. She had to fight through the mistakes.

Meanwhile, at the top of the pass, Beidou let out a deep sigh, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. "The race is probably over by now. Eula's got this in the bag."

March shot her a glare, not having it. "Don't say that, Beidou! Remember, no one ever expects Collei to win—until she does! She wasn't supposed to beat Keqing's RX-7, or Yelan's Blackbird, or Silverwolf in that Deathmatch, but she pulled through every time."

Beidou shook her head, eyes narrowing as she glanced toward the winding road ahead. "That was different. Those were all at Yougou Pass. She's raced that road for five years. This is different. This is her first time at Amakane. She's racing blind."

March frowned, a pit of worry forming in her stomach. "That's... a big difference, isn't it?"

Beidou nodded grimly, her gaze fixed on the mountain pass. "If she had driven this course even once before, I wouldn't be so worried. But she hasn't. And that's what makes this so damn dangerous."

The tension was suffocating. The race wasn't over yet—but with every second that passed, the stakes grew higher.

And at that very moment, as Collei locked onto Eula's rear bumper, she finally saw it.

An opening.

Back in the race, Collei was still trailing behind Eula's GT86, the roar of the two engines echoing through the mountain pass. Headlights pierced the night, slicing through the sharp curves of Amakane Pass. Despite Collei's best efforts, Eula still held the lead—but only barely. The AE86 clung to her rear bumper like a shadow, a relentless presence, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"Corner A105's coming up. If I can pull alongside her here, I can pass her!"

Collei tightened her grip on the steering wheel, fingers white-knuckling the leather. Her heart pounded in time with the revs of the engine, adrenaline flooding her senses. She locked her eyes on Eula's GT86, every detail of the car burned into her mind.

"I've seen how you pull that crazy drift, Eula. Now it's my turn to show you what I've got."

Up ahead at the A105 rest stop, a pair of locals had pulled over, drawn by the unmistakable sounds of a high-speed battle tearing through the mountain.

A man in a red Mazda MX-5 leaned against his car, casually lighting a cigarette. "You here to watch the GT86 do its famous continuous drift?"

Beside him, a woman in a Nissan Silvia S15 smirked, arms crossed, eyes scanning the road. "Yeah. That car's been running this pass for years. If you can nail this drift, you've earned the right to call yourself a real driver. This corner is the soul of Amakane Pass. No half-assed technique can survive here."

Suddenly, the sharp screech of tires tore through the air, a sound that vibrated through the very asphalt.

The MX-5 driver straightened up, flicking his cigarette away. "Shit… here they come."

The beams of two pairs of headlights swung into view, slicing through the darkness like twin blades. The low growl of the GT86's tuned flat-four engine mixed with the distinct high-pitched wail of the AE86's 4A-GE, both cars screaming at the limits of their capability.

The S15 driver narrowed her eyes, recognizing the sound instantly. "That's Eula's Rocket Bunny GT86. No doubt about it."

But then her gaze fell on the car behind it—a white coupe, its pop-up headlights glaring like a predator in the night.

The MX-5 driver blinked. "Wait a damn minute… what the fuck? An AE86?!"

The realization hit both spectators like a punch to the gut. Nobody had mentioned a race tonight.

Back on the road, the battle was reaching its breaking point.

Eula slammed the brakes just before entering Corner A105, her GT86's rear kicking out as she initiated her signature continuous drift. Tires screeched as they fought for grip, carving a perfect arc through the turn, just as she had done a hundred times before.

But this time—Collei was ready.

The AE86 darted out of Eula's slipstream.

Side by side.

Wheel to wheel.

For a split second, Eula's blue eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell is she doing?!"

The two cars thundered into the corner together, their bodies mere inches apart. The world outside seemed to slow as they swerved in perfect sync, both cars leaning into the turn with a grace that defied the forces at play. To the watching locals, it was pure insanity—a synchronized drift at A105, both cars performing a near-identical maneuver that left them breathless.

The MX-5 driver's jaw dropped. "What the actual fuck? They're side by side?!"

The S15 driver took a step forward, eyes locked on the AE86. "No way… no fucking way... That's Yougou's AE86!"

Back in the cockpit, Collei's heart raced in time with the roar of the engine. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her concentration absolute. Eula had made one mistake—one tiny hesitation.

She could feel it.

Eula braked harder than usual, likely overcompensating for the corner.

And Collei knew it.

Anticipating the hesitation, Collei eased off her own brakes, letting the AE86's momentum carry her forward. She knew exactly what was coming—Eula would try to slow her car down too much before the next hairpin.

In that single moment of hesitation, Collei made her move.

"NOW!"

She stomped the accelerator.

The AE86 lunged forward, darting to the inside of the right-hand curve.

Eula's eyes went wide in horror.

"NO FUCKING WAY—"

But it was too late.

The GT86 suddenly understeered.

Eula yanked the wheel, but the front tires refused to grip the road. The car drifted too wide, leaving just enough of an opening for Collei to slip through.

Like a knife through flesh, Collei's AE86 blasted past on the inside line, taking the lead.

The S15 driver clenched her fists, mouth agape. "HOLY SHIT. She just overtook Eula's signature drift at A105!"

The MX-5 driver whistled low, impressed. "That was fucking clean. No hesitation, no wasted movement. She just outplayed the GT86 at its own game."

Eula gritted her teeth, her hands white-knuckled on the wheel.

"Goddamn it… I lost my grip for a second..."

But a second was all Collei needed.

The two cars rocketed out of the corner, but the damage was done—Collei had a half-car lead.

For a brief moment, both drivers knew.

The race was over.

At the top of Amakane Pass, the crisp night air carried the distant echoes of engines screaming through the final stretch.

March, who had been pacing near the starting line, suddenly froze. Her ears perked up as the deep, aggressive growl of a tuned flat-four mixed with the high-pitched whine of a rev-happy inline-four.

They were coming.

Her heartbeat quickened. She turned to the others.

"Hey, I hear them coming!"

Beidou, Seele, and Amber rushed to the edge of the overlook, eyes locked onto the road below.

And then—two beams of light slashed through the darkness.

The GT86 appeared first, its wide stance and Rocket Bunny kit giving it an unmistakable silhouette under the dim streetlights. But right behind it—Collei's AE86 held on, just a car's length behind.

Beidou exhaled sharply. A strange tension settled in her chest.

"I think they're gearing up for another run," she murmured, half-expecting the two cars to blast past and dive into another round.

But just as they reached the starting line, something unexpected happened—

Collei rolled down her window… and raised a fist.

A wide, triumphant grin stretched across her face.

The mountain erupted in cheers.

March shot her fist into the air, practically bouncing in place. "She did it! She won!!"

Amber, overcome with excitement, grabbed March into a tight hug. "Of course she did! That was spectacular!"

Seele, always calm and composed, couldn't contain her smile. She threw her arms around Beidou, who stood frozen for a second before letting out a rough chuckle.

"The impossible is possible, Beidou!" Seele grinned, her eyes gleaming. "Just because it's her first run doesn't mean she's going to lose!"

Beidou nodded, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Looks like I was wrong about her. Collei's got that fight in her."

The celebration was pure euphoria—laughter, high-fives, and the electrifying buzz of victory hanging in the air.

As the two cars rolled into the parking area, both drivers turned on their hazard lights. The soft amber blink of the signals was like an unspoken confirmation—the race was over, and the battle had been decided.

The group rushed forward, their energy unstoppable.

Collei, still buzzing with adrenaline, leaned out of her window with a radiant smile. "That's gotta be the best race I've done yet!"

Beidou stepped up first, arms crossed but grinning. "How does it feel to win on a new course?"

Collei let out a breathless laugh. "It feels amazing!"

Before anyone could say more, Eula stepped out of her GT86.

There was a moment of hesitation.

Would she be bitter about the loss? Would she walk away in frustration?

But instead—she smiled.

Beidou met her halfway and extended a hand. "So, how'd it go?"

Eula's grip was firm but warm as she shook Beidou's hand. "It was great. I actually had fun, you know."

Beidou smirked. "Good to hear, Eula."

The tension dissolved. What had started as a high-stakes battle ended in mutual respect.

Hours Later—Base of Amakane Pass

A small, dimly lit 24-hour convenience store sat at the base of the mountain, offering a quiet refuge after the chaos of the race. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the distant hum of vending machines.

Collei, Eula, Beidou, March, Seele, and Amber sat around a small table outside, cups of steaming coffee in hand. The night was still, save for the occasional sound of a car rolling past on the nearby highway.

Eula, taking a slow sip of her drink, glanced at Collei. "So... how did you have the courage to go side by side with me at Corner A105?"

Collei took a moment before answering. She tilted her head back, gazing at the endless night sky.

"Before our meeting at Amakane Pass, we were watching you at A105. I saw how you handled the corner, so when I was tailing you, I anticipated you'd brake earlier than usual to try and throw me off. I used that to my advantage."

Eula blinked.

For a few seconds, she just stared at Collei, processing what she had just heard.

Then—she chuckled.

"Damn... I gotta say, kid, you've got a lot of skill for your age."

Eula extended a hand toward Collei. "Well, Collei, it's been a pleasure racing with you."

Collei swapped her coffee to her other hand and shook Eula's.

"It's been great racing with you."

The night loomed with positivity.

A race that had started with drama and rivalry had ended with camaraderie and respect.

The mountain pass had spoken.

And Collei's AE86 had left its mark.