The two blocker-type Mecha Girls glanced at Stella charging up in their rearview mirror, a trace of disdain curling on their lips.
As combat-type Mecha Girls, they were usually sent out later and didn't get many chances to appear.
But every time they did, it meant a confrontation was inevitable.
When it came to combat, they had almost no rivals. Aside from that Gray Castle, they feared no provocation from any Mecha Girl.
Because as long as they blocked the road, no Mecha Girl dared to come up and crash into them.
And today, a challenger had appeared!
But it was a speed-type Mecha Girl?
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Stella's speed kept climbing.
She burst through the yellow sand kicked up by the two blocker-type Mecha Girls' wheels, like a sharp blade slamming hard into the left one's side.
ZK-34, Impact Resistance 92. Stella failed to knock her aside.
Boom!
Even after the second hit, the opponent's chassis only shifted slightly.
Using the rebound force, Stella shot toward the other wall-mounted Mecha Girl.
ZK-53, Impact Resistance 90.
Boom!
After colliding with her, the impact force quickly canceled out, part of it converting into stored energy before releasing, launching Stella forward once more.
For an ordinary driver, even if they weren't knocked away, it would be nearly impossible to maintain control through consecutive collisions.
Losing control would be inevitable.
And once a Mecha Girl lost control, what happened next would be left to chance.
But Derek Su was different. Every collision Stella made was precisely calculated in angle and speed.
After each impact, he rapidly adjusted the control stick and modulated the throttle, controlling tire grip at different levels so Stella could better harness the inertia generated from colliding with the blocker-type Mecha Girls.
When the tire grip dropped to its critical threshold, Stella's chassis slid like an ice cube across glass, while the blocker-type Mecha Girls were like two wooden boards on that surface.
Using those two boards, she pulled off an unbelievable collision-based overtake, fast as lightning.
Before the two Mecha Girls could even react, Stella had already passed them.
Originally, the two of them had completely sealed off every overtaking route.
No matter which side Stella chose, they would have forced her off the track.
But now...
Right under their noses, Stella had completed the overtake through the most dangerous gap, the space between the two blocker-type Mecha Girls!
What kind of joke is this?!
...
"Is this the power of The Magician? Turning the rotten into something miraculous?!"
The driver inside ZK-53 stared in astonishment.
He and the ZK-34 driver beside him were from the same club, friends and rivals.
"The Magician is incredible, sure, but Stella's Impact Resistance is nothing to scoff at either," the ZK-34 driver said with a helpless sigh. "What usually happens to the Mecha Girls we go up against? Either they lose control and flip, or they end up wrecked. But look at her, she's completely fine. She just zipped past. And when we collided with her, you could clearly feel how solid she is!"
"She really is tough," the ZK-53 driver said, looking ahead. "But she's about to have a very bad time."
Stella kept bouncing forward along the track by leveraging the blocks from the combat-type Mecha Girls, quickly breaking out of the encirclement.
Their attempts to stop her had instead become tools she used to gain speed. The visual impact of the scene was impossible to describe.
And she was about to catch up to that terrifying, fortress-like presence.
Gray Castle, the model crowned as the King of Combat.
A monster on the track, nearly impossible to overtake.
Her speed and combat ability on sand left every other Mecha Girl far behind.
Stella's engine had a sharper pitch than the combat-types.
It was unmistakable.
Richard Cheng, who had thought he had the first stage firmly under control, quickly picked up the unusual engine howl cutting through the wind. He glanced at the rearview mirror.
The glaring headlights made his eyes sting.
"It's that speed-type Mecha Girl. She's caught up," Gray Castle said calmly.
She had noticed Stella even earlier than Richard Cheng.
Stella breaking through the pack of combat-type Mecha Girls was unexpected, but not enough to surprise her.
Or rather, aside from Imperial Scale, no Mecha Girl in this race was worth her attention.
"What should we do now?" Richard Cheng felt a flicker of panic.
He wouldn't have panicked against anyone else.
But this was Derek Su, The Magician.
"Master, there's no need to panic. Just wait for them to come up," Gray Castle said coldly, her gaze fixed on the road. "When they do, activate the special skill immediately. Don't give them any chance to recover."
"Huh?" Richard Cheng froze, then asked instinctively, "Shouldn't we save the special skill for the provincial track?"
"You might not even use me on the provincial track. There are plenty of others at home, you have better options." Gray Castle let out a cold laugh, her face full of disdain. "Besides... there's nothing to hide about my special skill."
"Under its effect, those who can break free will break free. Those who can't won't escape no matter what they try, especially that speed-type Mecha Girl!"
Richard Cheng thought it over carefully.
Given how Gray Castle's special skill worked, that did seem to be the case.
He had run plenty of tests to evaluate her performance.
He knew very well just how absurdly powerful her ability was.
...
"Master, we're about to catch up to that gray-haired gorilla! Wahaha!"
Ever since breaking out of the pack of combat-type Mecha Girls, Stella had been in an excited frenzy. Now she was just one step away from her target, Gray Castle.
Back when they entered the race, Imperial Scale had seriously warned Master to be careful of Gray Castle.
Didn't that mean Imperial Scale took her very seriously?
Maybe even Imperial Scale found her troublesome!
So...
That meant...
As long as she, the King of Pineapple, stomped Gray Castle underfoot, Imperial Scale would definitely see her in a new light!
And if that happened, wouldn't the Rebel King's surrender be right around the corner?
Wouldn't becoming the Empress of the world be just as close?
The more Stella thought about it, the more excited she became, her speed climbing even higher.
While Stella was lost in her whirlwind of fantasies...
Derek Su, on the other hand, was completely baffled.
Gray-haired... gorilla? What was that supposed to mean?
It couldn't be describing Gray Castle, could it...
Stella, that sly little troublemaker, loved giving nicknames to both people and Mecha Girls, with different ones depending on whether they were allies or enemies. For example, she called Imperial Scale "Pretty Big Thunder," Tunbao "Pink-Haired Thug," Purple Lightning "Killer Crybaby," Lingwind "Weak-Willed Pushover," Blazing Wind "Sweet Big Angel," and Absolute Shadow "Fragrant Rich Lady"… so calling Gray Castle "Gray-Haired Gorilla" actually made perfect sense.
So calling Gray Castle a "gray-haired gorilla" was, strangely enough, perfectly in character.
Derek Su sucked in a sharp breath.
That absolutely could not be heard by Gray Castle.
He had a feeling "gray-haired gorilla" hit even harder than calling someone an "old thing"!
Stella quickly caught up to Gray Castle.
But to Derek Su's surprise, Richard Cheng, who was driving Gray Castle, made no move to block them. He had already prepared for all kinds of interference, yet none of it came.
Stella and Gray Castle ran side by side.
Confusion filled his mind.
Was the "gray-haired gorilla" really just going to let her pass like that?
But the thought had only just formed.
Buzz!
A ring of earthy yellow light spread outward from Gray Castle.
In that instant, both Derek Su and Stella felt their breathing hitch, as if a massive weight had suddenly pressed down on them, leaving them unable to breathe.