Jawed was surprised.
Although this was not some incredibly advanced technique, for someone who, from Jawed's observation, had only been cornering on instinct to suddenly change his style mid-race, then the guy was pretty good.
It was like a caveman who had never worn clothes suddenly learn how to put on pants.
Of course, compared to the smooth corner-cutting lines of him and Halley, that guy still looked rather clumsy and error-prone.
Behind them, Dante was already sweating buckets beneath his helmet.
His eyes were strained wide open, every cell in his brain focused to the limit.
After all, there was a massive difference between seeing the other one do something and doing it himself. Not to mention, all he could observe was the trajectory and speed of that motorcycle, not the actual inputs and movements of the rider controlling it.
Glancing the holographic barrier rush toward him at terrifying speed, while recalling the life-and-death moment from earlier, his heart could not help but tremble slightly.
But Dante didn't panic. Because he had to keep moving forward, together with his partner.
"Don't worry, brother, you can do it. And if you can't? Nah, impossible!"
Hearing those encouraging words, the young man's eyes grew even more resolute.
He and Stak pushed past the turn-in point, pushing beyond their fear itself. And then—GRRRRMMMM—!
The engine growled violently in rhythm with Dante's braking and rapid downshifts. The rear wheel kicked sideways slightly.
The vehicle leaned lightly into the corner, then snapped upright and shot forward.
The line still wasn't perfect, but compared to before, it was far cleaner now. The bike launching away like an artillery shell.
"YES! Nice one, we pulled it off again! Let's keep going, Stak!"
"Yeah!"
Dante continued steering, shifting, braking. Each attempt became cleaner than the last. Each movement brought him closer to the rhythm of the motorcycle ahead.
And then, at the exit of one corner—RRRRRRRRRRRRR!
The golden motorcycle burst forward until it was right beside the crimson bike. The two racers, once again, were side by side.
"He really caught up" Halley's worried voice rang out "What should we d— Um...?" Her words suddenly stopped midway.
Within Jawed's previously dull eyes, excitement and exhilaration suddenly lit up at this moment.
Exactly like during their escape from the factory.
He glanced sideways at Dante, just as Dante turned to look at him as well.
Neither of them could see the other's expression beneath the dark visors, nor did they exchange any words.
And yet, somehow, they both seemed to sense the excitement burning within the other. (Or at least Jawed thought so. Who knew what the blond guy was thinking???)
Jawed turned back and poked the worried chibi Halley on the display as though reassuring her. Then, his voice rang out:
"What's there to worry about, girl? Didn't we agree we'd only think about victory?Then all we have to do is charge ahead and leave him eating dust, right?"
"Mm?!?!" Halley froze at the completely different tone in the young man's voice. But then, she nodded firmly. "Mm! We'll win!"
"Then let's go!"
For Jawed, the real battle had finally begun!
The next sequence of tight corners arrived. Jawed downshifted, countersteered, and performed flick after flick with absolute perfection. The speedometer needle climbed wildly upward.
Every movement was unbelievably fast, so fast that even Halley started feeling dizzy.
Right beside him, Dante saw the maneuver and let out an exhilarated grin.
"So that's how he blast through small corners, huh? Alright, then let me try!"
SKREEECH—!
The friction between tire and asphalt screamed sharply enough to hurt the ears.
The bike leaned left, then violently right. The center of mass shifted repeatedly, causing the machine to shake aggressively.
VRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Then, the rear wheel bit hard into the asphalt before the motorcycle exploded out of the corner sequence at such terrifying speed that the scenery on both sides nearly stretched into long blurred streaks beneath the mountain lights.
It surged past the crimson machine.
Of course, not for long. When the next corner even arrived, Jawed slipped through it like a phantom and overtaken him again.
And so it continued. One would surge ahead, only to be overtaken moments later.
The asphalt burned beneath them, while clouds of dust exploded into the air, swallowing the entire road.
***
"Tense, this is way too tense, everyone! My wallet's about to get real fat!"
"... Ah, and this stage of the race is reaching a suffocating level of intensity as well! Our star Dante, along with this race's underdog, are fighting relentlessly for the lead! And that battle is about to reach us, right here at the finish line at the foot of the mountain!" Larry's excited shouting blasted through the speakers.
The stands around the finish line were already packed with spectators, every eye fixed on the race playing across the giant screen.
"Dante! Dante! Dante!"
"Stak! Stak! Stak!"
The cheers echoed throughout the mountain base, most of them supporting Dante and Stak.
But beside the crowd cheering for Dante was another group waving red flags, their voices rumbling thunderously.
"Rookie! Rookie! Rookie!"
"Jawed! Jawed! Jawed!"
The crowd roared excitedly. They had been captivated by the skill, by the speed of that crimson lightning.
United as one, they wanted him to win—there're Jawed's very first fans.
***
BROOOOOOM—!
"GAAAAAAAAAAAH—!"
The engines screamed at their absolute limits, mixing with Dante's fierce roar.
The two motorcycles burst out of the final corner almost side by side.
Ahead lay the last downhill straight leading to the finish line.
The blond man tensed his body, lowering himself tightly against the fuel tank.
While beside him, thanks to his superior corner exit speed, Jawed wasn't left behind on the straight.
Though he didn't roar aloud, exhilaration still surged through him.
Adrenaline rushed through his veins, making his heart pound violently.
Each heartbeat synchronized with his breathing.
Truly, this was exciting!
At the same moment, both riders shifted into top gear, throttles pinned wide open as they charged toward the finish line.
As they neared the line, time itself seemed to slow for everyone.
The world fell silent. Not a single sound remained.
For a brief instant, the golden vehicle seemed slightly ahead.But at that very moment—VRRRRRRRRRR—!
The blazing crimson motorcycle suddenly accelerated, like a fully charged bolt of lightning unleashed in an instant.
It surged forward just a little farther, slicing across the finish line and tearing down the asphalt.
The race—was over.
…