RCKakashi14's GT Sport Fanfiction - ON HOLD

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Philippines
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TakuKanonji22
IMPORTANT!



This is my latest fan fiction title. If this is the first story you'll read, please take time to read the preceding titles first. You can click on the links provided below:


GT5 SAGA



GT6 SAGA
(CHARACTER PROFILES CAN ALSO BE FOUND THERE)




These are listed in chronological order.







Arc 1: The Yellow Flash


A new racing chapter opens for the Dream Alliance. The world-famous racing team has seen an expansion, but also faces new problems in a form of the revival of the Vision Gran Turismo Project now approved by the FIA. The newly reformed team is now backed by a mysterious person.

And a new star is set to shine in the racing world, and will pose a threat to the Dream Alliance as well.

New Characters:

Kiehl Muller:

Age: 28

Nationality: German

Team: Team Blitzgelb

Cars: Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche Cayman GT4


Kiehl Muller is Nigel's top student from Nigel's racing school. He is known as "The Yellow Flash of Stuttgart", and was recently reported to smash Dream Alliance's lap times.

Plus, he is actually one of Dream Alliance's biggest fans, though of course never explicitly stating it to his instructor.

However, his prime motivation for taking on the racing world will be revealed later on...


Julie Meade:

Age: 36


Nationality: American

Occupation: CEO of MeadeCorp

Car: Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG 4MATIC

Julie Meade is a successful heiress of MeadeCorp, a huge food conglomerate with numerous brands under its ownership. She got the position shortly after her father died, but not without struggles, of course. She eventually have gotten the grips on how to manage such a large company, and won the trust of her peers who loved her father's way of running the business.

With that said and done, she moves on to a new prospective. After all, it's all about the profit...



Page 1: A New Star


Dream Alliance HQ, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 7 pm




Months have passed since the crumble of the Vision Gran Turismo Project, thanks to the disappearance of the cunning young Alan Long. However, Dream Alliance's celebration is short-lived...


...as the VGT Project has been revived by a mysterious backer. To add more insult to injury, the FIA now recognizes them as a legitimate racing team.


But life goes on for the Dream Alliance, and is dedicated to rise up and overcome the new challenge.






Andy has finished working out at the basement. He then switches off the television and reaches for the towel to wipe off sweat.

He then ascends to the stairs on the way to his quarters at the 2nd floor to have a bath, but then as he gets to the ground floor, he sees Hiroyuki. The team chief makes a surprise visit to the headquarters.


Andy: "Hiroyuki-san? I didn't know you'll come by. I should have told Nigel to sort everything here."


Hiroyuki: "No that's okay. I'll be here for a few weeks, for me to make sure everything shall start smoothly for us."


Andy: "Oh I see."


Hiroyuki: "Don't mind me further. Continue to what you're about to do."


Andy: "Okay. But please call me if you need something. I can even cook dinner for us."


Hiroyuki then nods as Andy heads to his room. With that settled, Hiroyuki heads over to the garage.

On the way, there is a terrace separating the HQ and the garage. He then stops as he stares at their newest weapon in the arsenal:



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Hiroyuki: "We will make sure you'll come out of hiding, Alan. I don't care how crippled you are now. We will pound you to the ground until you kneel. Andy has stepped up. He bravely chose to take the lead this time."




At evening, Nigel makes final checks on sorting out Hiroyuki's suite. The team chief enters the room, assisting the robot in the chore.


Hiroyuki: "No need to go through the trouble."


Nigel: "But dust mites will cause inconvenience for you, Hiroyuki-san. Your children told me that."


Hiroyuki: "Even a robot like you can be very hospitable. Thank you for the effort."


Nigel places Hiroyuki's luggage on a table in Hiroyuki's bedroom. The old man stops and crosses his arms, as if a thought suddenly crossed his mind.


Hiroyuki: "So... I heard a student of yours is making a name for himself across Europe."


Nigel: "Oh? You mean Mr. Kiehl Muller?"


Hiroyuki: "Team Blitzgelb posted serious qualifying lap times using their Porsche 911 RSR. I'm surprised that it was allowed to be modified for it to participate in Group 3 category. I think that's justifiable, since there are a lot more Group 3 cars popping up alongside Vision GT cars that have entered the roster. It has to step up.

And just this afternoon, he was seen at the Nurburgring."


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Nigel: "Is that so? It's been a few months since I last talked to him."


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Hiroyuki: "Even Takuma made special mention of that man. Apparently he failed to keep up with him during a tourist session at the Nurburgring. That was one hell of a break-in for Takuma's brand new GT3 RS."


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The cyborg briefly checks Blitzgelb's website through Hiroyuki's personal computer.


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Nigel: "So Blitzgelb's 911 RSR posted a Nordschleife lap time of 6 minutes and 42.7 seconds*."


Hiroyuki: "I guess you ought to give your student another medal, then."



Nigel smiles upon hearing Hiroyuki's response.


Nigel: "A job well done for me, then. And it seems like we have a lot of upcoming teams to contend with."



Hiroyuki reacts with a mere smile on his face.




Hiroyuki: "Hmph. You know, Nigel, there is a saying...



"...the more, the merrier."





END OF PAGE 1


Notes:

*Porsche 911 RSR setting is at 550 HP/2,822 lbs using RH tires.





I hope you enjoy reading. If you have any questions about the story (or even want a summary), just send me a PM. :)




Hopefully a GT Sport Race Reports sub thread will be created...


 
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Yikes! That RSR is scary fast! It beat the Zonda R around the 'ring'. :nervous:

Good opening chapter, looks like some stiff competition for the Dream Alliance up ahead! :)👍
 
Yikes! That RSR is scary fast! It beat the Zonda R around the 'ring'. :nervous:

Good opening chapter, looks like some stiff competition for the Dream Alliance up ahead! :)👍


The physics update helped a lot to achieve such lap time. Back then, I can do so only if the RSR is at 600 HP. Now with the change applied, the same lap time can be achieved even if the setting is at BoP (though in the story it’s 15 more HP than the BoP would set)
 
Page 2: The Businesswoman


Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Time: 5 pm




The day is once again over. Hordes of people are flocking back to their homes to rest after a hard day of work. As usual, traffic is to be expected.


One of the cars perfectly blending well is a purple Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG seemingly rushing through, as if its driver is running late.


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The driver is a woman wearing a black blazer with matching slacks. Her stiletto is pushing the brake pedal, seeing another traffic jam.

Her name is Julie Meade, a successful career woman in her mid-30s. She is the CEO of a large food conglomerate called MeadeCorp. She just left the office after a long meeting with the partners.



Julie: "Ugh... typical LA traffic. I hope he won't get mad."


She manages to get away from the chaos, and enters a certain parking lot.

After finding a spot, she waits. She taps her feet on the carpet.


Julie: "Huh. So I'm not the late one today."


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A few minutes later, she sees a black Audi sedan parking just nearby. Getting out of the car is a tall man wearing a corporate attire, holding a leather purse.

Seeing him approaching, Julie presses the button to roll down the electric window. The man hands out the purse.


Julie: "How surprising. You're late."

Man: "It's for you. He wants you to know that the project is ready. Your go signal is needed."


She opens the purse, and it contains a matte black key fob, presumably for a car.


Julie: "I'm a straightforward and professional woman. So tell him that we're all ready. It's a go. There are no setbacks."


Man: "Hmph. Understood."


Julie: "Oh, next time... you can dress casually. We're not a mafia, and tell that to him as well."


She then rolls up the window as the man returns to the saloon. Grasping the key fob, she puts up a grin.


Julie: "Everything will change from here on out. This is one hell of an investment..."



*********************************************************************************************************************************************


Location: London
Time: 7 pm, the next day


In the middle of the urban chaos of London, a speedy white Jaguar F-Type R momentarily catches the eye of the bystanders.



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It's as if its driver is in a rush. Time is indeed of an essence after all...


It then stops by at a cafe. Getting out of the said car is none other than...


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...Rob Hatch. He straightens his blazer as he walks to a cafe. Apparently he just borrowed his wife's Jaguar for an undisclosed reason.



He enters Cafe Royal, and then the receptionist proceeds to ask him.


Receptionist: "Table for?"


Rob: "Table for one, please."


The receptionist immediately spots a vacant table with one seat. Rob sits down, obviously waiting for someone.



A waiter approaches Rob, and hands over the menu.


Waiter: "What would you like to have, sir?"


Rob: "I want some chamomile tea. Add a little bit of sugar, too."


Waiter: "Anything else, sir?"


Rob: "None at all."


The waiter then proceeds to process the order. After a brief moment, a man in a grey trench coat and a hat enters the cafe. The man approaches Rob.


Rob: "What's with that getup?"


???: "You asked me to go under the radar, am I right?"


The man takes out a large brown envelope from his trench coat.


???: "Here's what you asked for. You're going to screen each one of them, right?"


Rob grabs the envelope and pulls out some pieces of paper out. The contents are a mystery... for now.


Rob: "Yes, yes. Just get rid of that stupid look of yours. I did tell you that you must act discreet, yet I didn't ask you to be a spy, either. If I'm to be blunt, you have none of the credentials of being one."


???: "Roger that. And ouch."


Rob: "Now go. I'll call you when something is up."



The man leaves Rob alone. Next, the waiter arrives with Rob's tea, serving it.



*********************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent, England
Time: 9:30 am, the next day



The cold and peaceful morning is suddenly disturbed by the loud exhaust sound of a racing car...





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A silver McLaren 650S GT3 is tearing up for a practice session.



Meanwhile, in the paddock, a janitor is seen mopping the floor. He turns his attention to the racing team.




Janitor: "Bloody showoffs. What kind of chaps are they? To think they even asked me to keep mum about this."



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Janitor: "Such a bold yet mysterious race team. Called as Team Storm, huh? What a cliche name."




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Janitor: "Hopefully they deliver with all these gimmicks they have. They seem serious, too."





End of Page 2



Notes:


- Julie's bio can be seen at the first post, where the New Characters section is.
 
Page 3: The Backer


Location: MeadeCorp building, Los Angeles, California, USA
Time: 1 pm


Julie stands up from her chair and gets her bag. She considers herself done for today, and tells her secretary that she'll taking the rest of the day off.

She bids goodbye to the employees who walk past her.


Now that she's alone waiting for the elevator, she reaches for her smartphone and calls someone just named "Some Guy".


While the phone is ringing, the elevator opens and she enters. "Some Guy" answers the other line...



Some Guy: "Why call me?"


Julie: "I got a message this morning that you want me to see the car. Next time, use my personal e-mail, not my work e-mail."


Some Guy: "I figured you would read immediately your work emails."


Julie: "We have to be discreet as possible, am I right? Who's not following instructions?"


Some Guy: "Calm down, woman. The car is ready for viewing. My man will escort you there."



At the parking lot, she gets in her Mercedes hatchback and leaves in a swift manner.


*************************************************************************************************************************************************


A few minutes away from MeadeCorp, Julie arrives at a warehouse. It may look barren, but once she enters, it is actually quite busy inside, with mechanics working all day on what could be racing cars.


The same man who met Julie before once again appears before her. He escorts her as planned.


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A Peugeot Vision Gran Turismo in racing trim is what awaits her.


Julie: "This used to be Alan Long's failed attempt to win Le Mans, am I right?"


Man: "Indeed. But we decided to put it to better use. We'll pit this in the Group 3 category."


Julie: "Against the likes of Dream Alliance? I'm totally into this."


Man: "YOUR car, on the other hand..."


Julie: "Don't sweat it. It's not my priority right now. So, have you found the drivers?"


Man: "The screening process is taken care of. We're ready to go."


Julie: "With the FIA approval and now we have the drivers too. Perfect. The Vision Gran Turismo project is back from the dead. And...


...I will make sure Alan Long will not lay a finger on this one. By the way, have you found that man?"


Man: "He's still in hiding. After all, he got crippled from that incident in Dubai, remember?"


Julie: "Oh yes. I wish I was there to see the fun. But, I'm a businesswoman. I'm no MMA fighter."


Contented with the progress, Julie smiles and crosses her arms along with her right feet tapping on the floor.


Julie: "Once this project turns out to be successful, we'll turn this over to its rightful owner."




*************************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Amesbury, UK
Time: 6 pm, the next day


A phone rings in the living room of Takuma's new home. With all the commotion in London especially the bombings, Takuma decided to move his family to the outskirts of London. He no longer works in the car magazine company, and instead focuses on his late adoptive father's real estate business that he inherited.


Takuma runs to the phone before his wife, Kokoro, manages to hold it. It turns out to be Rob.


Rob: "Hello? Is this the Kanonji residence?"



Takuma: "Oh hey, Rob. Sorry for not answering your calls as of late. I'm busy arranging everything for moving out."


Rob: "I got your number from your former place of work. So you're in Amesbury now?"


Takuma: "Yeah. After all those horrible incidents in London, we decided to move. I made a quick refurbish of this home, which belonged to the late Sir Ben. There's still some things need to be done."


Rob: "So I have to travel two hours just to meet my drinking buddy? Oh well, nothing changes. We'll still have our weekly night out."


Takuma: "Yeah. And next week, you'll be an honorary guest riding shotgun in my new car."


Rob: "That Porsche? I saw your Instagram post."


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Takuma: "It's much faster now. The body is now carbon fiber. All of it. And then power is now at 550."


Rob: "Not even a match with a McLaren, shrimp. Stop wasting your money."


Takuma: "Oh I'll show you soon enough. I'm interested in Porsche 911s now, after driving Nigel's RUF CTR a few months ago."


Rob: "Speaking of... you've heard of Nigel's student?"


Takuma: "Yeah... Kiehl Muller. He's the sole reason why I modified my RS."


Rob: "He's a serious threat now. His lap times are insane."


Takuma: "Sigh... and we've got even Team Storm to deal with. I wonder how's Andy in Germany?"


Rob: "Hiroyuki-san arrived there the other day. He told me that Andy is pretty much ready."


Takuma: "I think this may be the toughest season we'll ever have."



*************************************************************************************************************************************************


Location: Dream Alliance HQ, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 7 pm


As the sun is about to set, leaving behind a perfectly clear weather for the day, Andy is at the ground floor watching the television. He browses through the channels until he reaches the motorsport channel.


It is airing a news program reporting various motorsport happenings around the globe.

Andy sets aside the remote control on the coffee table, then Hiroyuki arrives and joins him in the leisure.


Hiroyuki: "Time to see what's really happening..."


And the first news article they see is...



"The Blue Streak racing team is showing their strong winning... streak. After winning an endurance race in Italy just two days ago, the team has shown that they truly are a force to be reckoned with, especially in this type of race that requires perseverance more than just outright speed."


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While they had shown an impressive result, they had announced that they backed out of the Gr. 3 division, stating that they poured their funding in the Gr.1 class and has shifted their focus on that category instead."


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The program keeps on showing more footage of the race.


"The car they are driving is a one-off racing creation from Bugatti, exclusively for Blue Streak. This marks the first time the luxury marque return to racing after almost a century of absence."

"Racing enthusiasts and fans are surely to expect more, as Bugatti has a rich racing history."


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Hiroyuki:
"Impressive display. Bugatti has never forgotten their racing legacy, that's for sure."




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Andy:
"And here I thought that thing is a luxury barge with an aero kit."


Hiroyuki:
"
Quite depressing that we won't encounter them in Gr. 3 anymore."


Andy:
"
I'm eager to lock horns with him, actually. I was anticipating that. Oh well, we still have to keep our guard up."




***************************************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Louis' home, Le Mans, France
Time: 8 pm




In the evening, Louis has arrived from his team's brief meeting.



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Louis enters his rather cozy home. Living alone has been a norm for him, but he can't help feeling gloomy every time he goes up to the room made supposedly for his late "brother" Toru. He makes sure that it is free from any speck of dust, before leaving the house.

He opens the door to that room, and briefly stares at it. The silence reminds him of the void that Toru left after his passing.


But Louis had to move on, for his little brother's sake...



As if saving him from loneliness, his phone rings in his pocket. It's Rob on the other line. Louis' mood immediately shifts to a positive one, showing a grin as he anticipates another banter from his friendly rival.



Louis: "Oui?"


Rob: "Have any spare time, mademoiselle?"


Louis: "Of course, mon cheri."


Rob: "We're having quite a serious talk here. Hear me out...."




And then their conversation commences. The topic in question is just between the two men...



End of Page 3




NOTES:



- So, who is this "Some Guy"? And who is this another person that Julie mentioned? - "we'll turn this over to its rightful owner."


Plenty of mysteries there... and we are just starting. :sly:






 
Oooooh. Lots of questions regarding to now truly owns the VGT project. Nice.
 
Page 4: Punching Above



Location: Dream Alliance HQ, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 8 pm; two days later



Nigel has served dinner. But before he could call, Andy already enters the dining area.


Andy: "Oh nice. Almost looks like a feast. I'm hungry..."


Yuki follows suit, and gets one piece of a Frankfurter before he can sit.


Yuki: "Mmmm.. delicious."


After sitting, Hiroyuki finally enters the room. The four men then start to eat.



Hiroyuki: "By the way, I will now announce our itinerary."


Andy puts down the utensils as he suddenly remembered that the first round is just around the corner.


Andy: "Oh right. It's near."



Hiroyuki: "Tomorrow, we're heading to a five star hotel nearby Autodromo Lago Maggiore in Italy. Then the day after that, we are free to practice there."


Andy: "Let's seize that opportunity."


Hiroyuki nods in agreement.


Hiroyuki: "Okay then. Takuma will follow suit, as a back up driver, but I have special plans for him in store."


Andy: "Care to explain why the rest aren't here?"


Hiroyuki: "Owen and Maria are on break, as they have to first adjust their lives as parents. I then tasked Rob to investigate who's behind the newly reformed Vision Gran Turismo Project. Then Takanori, Nobuhiko and Nobuyuki are still in Japan, as I instructed them to handle the formation of Dream Alliance Japan."


Andy: "Oh, a new branch of our team."


Hiroyuki: "Weren't you briefed? Oh you were in the gym back then, sorry for that. We are now officially called Dream Alliance Global."


Andy: "We're getting bigger and bigger. No wonder this HQ is the size of a football field.


Yuki: "THREE football fields."


Nigel: "Both camps are accepting applicants as we speak. Hiroyuki-san and I are in charge of screening applicants on our end."



Andy: "Man... I haven't fully known everyone here and yet we're still expanding? I'm bad at remembering names especially if I've got tons of friends."



************************************************************************************************************************************************************


Location: Autodromo Lago Maggiore
Time: 3 pm; two days later


It's a rather gloomy cloudy weather at Italy's recently opened racing circuit - Autodromo Lago Maggiore.


The first round of FIA GT3 will take place on this scenic race circuit, and Dream Alliance obviously won't pass up such opportunity to get to know the course firsthand.


Hiroyuki is also present, overseeing the operations. Andy is seen wearing his race suit, while Nigel is helping out the crew load off the M6 GT3 from their trailer.



Hiroyuki: "Cloudy, huh? What a depressing weather on an otherwise energetic crew today.


Nigel: "There's some good news, though. There is a very slight chance of rain on the day of the race, so there's pretty much little to worry about, sir."


Save for his helmet, Andy is prepared and proceeds to make the initial set up for the car.


Andy: "Let's do this. We'll start from the default camber setting..."


While instructing the crew, Hiroyuki sees another trailer arriving and backing up, painted in bright yellow.


Hiroyuki: "Oh... if it isn't Team Blitzgelb."


Andy turns his head and drives his attention to the trailer's opening rear lid. They see a yellow Porsche 911 RSR slowly being shown outside.


Andy: "Isn't that Kiehl Muller?"


The man in question finally exits from the trailer, seen straightening up his blonde hair.


Hiroyuki: "Hmph."


Nigel: "Well, shall we go back to work in hand? I believe we're here for practice."


Andy: "Yeah, enough distractions."


The crew resume their work while Kiehl is helping his crew push the race car into its respective pit garage.



With that done, Kiehl instructs his mechanics to set up the car, then he heads towards to the Dream Alliance, approaching Nigel to be specific.



Nigel: "Quite a surprise seeing you here."


Kiehl: "I'm simply a follower of your team. I find your methods effective, that I started using them on my end as well.


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Nigel: "Registering "Flattery" on the system."


Kiehl: "Say... why not make this day exciting? What if...


...we have a shootout?"



Nigel: "A race?"


Kiehl: "No. A time attack. The one with the fastest lap wins. It's one way to make practice so exciting."


Nigel: "I'm going to tell that first to my chief. Please wait here."


Nigel immediately goes to Hiroyuki and relay the message of challenge. Hiroyuki crosses his arms.


Hiroyuki: "All right. Plus I want to see Kiehl's driving in the flesh."


Nigel reports the answer back to his former student. The latter is visibly excited.


Kiehl: "All right! I'll do it first, so that I can see how Dream Alliance would fare."


With the conditions agreed, Nigel then relays the situation to Andy.


Andy: "What? He just challenged me? Out of the blue? Takuma-san isn't around yet..."


Hiroyuki: "I thought you promised yourself not to hesitate anymore. With or without Takuma, show to them and to us what you're truly capable of. Isn't that what you exactly said?"


Andy: "Yeah, but this is the first time encountering Kiehl. I can already feel it...


...his presence is as strong as Rob or Louis!"



***************************************************************************************************



Location: French-Italian border


Takuma is on his way to Italy, and decided to drive himself going there.


Putting the PDK transmission in Drive, Takuma also prefers letting the gears shift themselves on a cruise, provided that they change seamlessly.


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Despite the lack of sound deadening (it had to be removed for the lightening process he had done, obviously), the trip is serene...


...until a phone call from Hiroyuki breaks the peace.


Takuma: "Hello? I'm now on loudspeak."


Hiroyuki: "Where are you now?"


Takuma: "I have crossed the border. I'm in Italy now."


Hiroyuki: "Guess what? We've been challenged by Kiehl of Blitzgelb. They're here as well. It's a time attack shootout."


Takuma: "Oh lord. But I'm adamant that Andy can do it."


Hiroyuki: "I hope so, because he started doubting himself again. It's his first time seeing Kiehl after all."


Takuma: "Sigh... well... win or lose, this will be a wonderful experience for Andy. But believe me, Kiehl is not a pushover. I've experienced that myself."


Hiroyuki: "Kiehl is even excited for the bout. I believe he used that mood to hide his true self."


***************************************************************************************************


Back in the track, the challenge begins with Kiehl finishing the warm up lap. Nigel is responsible for keeping track of the time.


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Hearing the high-pitched flat six approaching, Nigel readies himself.


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Nigel presses the record button the moment the car crosses the line.


(Background Music)




Andy: "It begins."




Andy clenches his fists. He has yet to feel a tension this heavy before.



Andy: "I guess this is how Takuma and the others feel whenever they face a superstar like Kiehl. I now know..."


Hiroyuki takes a few steps out of the pit garage to catch the glimpse of the Porsche before it takes the first corner.


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Hiroyuki: "Kiehl Muller - The Yellow Flash of Stuttgart."


Andy: "Say, Nigel... I've heard before that Blitzgelb acquired a special permission to race that car in the Gr. 3 category."


Nigel: "You are correct. Kiehl got the permission, and modified the 911 RSR to match the specifications of Group 3 cars.


The 911 RSR is originally an LM GTE car. Its specifications are somehow underwhelming compared to a GT3 racing car. What Kiehl did in order to be granted permission is to modify it to match the specifications.

He increased the power, while at the same time increased weight as well, to offset the extra horsepower. As a result it matches a GT3 car in terms of lap times now..."


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Hiroyuki: "Seeing a Porsche run like that reminded me of my younger days. You see, I drove a lot of racing Porsches for the majority of my career aside from my Toyota 2000GT.


And let me tell you this - they are not OVER RATED as what others perceive them to be. Even now, Porsches punch well above their weight. Don't believe in their numbers.

I've driven a 2.7 Carrera RS... and I can easily beat Lamborghini Countaches and even Ferraris with it."



Meanwhile, inside the RSR...


Kiehl spares no quarter. After all, he is the one who issued the challenge.


Kiehl: "This is Dream Alliance I'm dealing with. I can't afford goofing around."


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Kiehl: "I have to show them that I deserve their praise, and actually..."


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Kiehl: "...we share the same enemy."



Clenching his fist on the wheel, he takes the hairpin with courage by full throttle after shifting down to second gear.


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Once again, the signature high pitch note of the flat six can be heard. They see the RSR at the main straight, and...



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..crosses the line. Nigel stops the recording.


Nigel: "1 minute and 56.6 seconds."



Hiroyuki: "All right. Andy, you're next!"


Upon hearing that, Andy puts on his racing gloves, and dons the helmet.


He takes a deep breath as he grips his hand on the M6 GT3's door handle.


Andy: "Here goes..."


After a full warm up lap, Andy fully buries the throttle.


Andy: "I've gotten the gist of this. But I think I still need more time to practice."


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(Background Music)


As the M6 GT3 passes the line, Nigel starts the recording.


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Meanwhile, Kiehl removes his helmet, and has briefly seen the M6 on that straight.


Kiehl: "A BMW M6 GT3, huh? Quite a bold choice."


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Kiehl: "I thought they'd go for the AMG GT3, since they raced the SLS GT3 back then."





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Kiehl: "I just hope that Dream Alliance realizes what I'm doing..."


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Kiehl: "I'm using the same methods, such as publishing lap times to get your opponents worked up. Now, how does it feel that the same strategies are now working against YOU?"


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Kiehl: "How would you stand up to the challenge, Dream Alliance? You're now looking at a mirror! The same pressure you put on your competition is now on you!"



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The M6 completes the lap. Andy switches on the radio.


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Andy: "Nigel, how did I fare?"


Nigel shakes his head briefly...


Nigel: "1 minute and 57.9 seconds. 1.3 seconds slower..."


Hearing the disappointing result, Andy tightly grips the steering wheel.


Andy: "Dammit!"


Hiroyuki then switches on his communication with Andy.


Hiroyuki: "Head back first and readjust. Cool off for a bit. Aggression won't make things better."





End of Page 4



NOTES:


- Next page would be the race proper, and I shall post the instructions and conditions for volunteers for a duel. It's easier especially that liveries can be shared, anyway.







 
Damn i missed the first 4 pages :lol:.

Afraid i cant help with the duels however because i havent got into a PS4 let alone GT Sport, but i will definetly keep my eye on this. 👍
 
Page 5: Catch of The Day


Location: Lago Maggiore Hotel, Italy
Time: 7 pm



Dream Alliance recuperates in the circuit's five-star hotel catered to racing teams and fans. Even though it's apparent that it's a tourist trap due to its location, the lobby itself already exudes an air of luxury, with large windows providing all the view of the magnificent Lago Maggiore lake even at sunset and as well as offering all the light the sun can illuminate. A large brown carpet on marble flooring is also adding up to the posh vibe. A swirling staircase leads to the hotel's function rooms and as well as a 24/7 gym.

Takuma is seen at the front desk, as he has just arrived from the road trip, talking to the front desk agent about checking in.


With all set, Takuma gets his bag and then carries it along with him. He sits on the sofa not too far away from the front desk as he waits for his room to be ready.


Takuma: "Swanky. Though I'm no longer wondering why the team is checked in here."


He then sees Andy walking past by, and immediately calls him out.


Takuma: "Hey Andy!"


Andy: "Oh there you are!"


The two men exchange fist bumps and a brotherly hug.


Andy: "When did you arrive?"


Takuma: "Just now. I'm waiting for my room."


Andy breathes out a sigh, and his mood noticeably changes back to disappointment.


Andy: "I see. Well... as for me, I had a rough day."


Takuma: "Seems like it, judging by your face."


The front desk woman approaches Takuma and interrupts their conversation.


Front Desk Clerk: "Excuse me, sir. Your room is ready."


Takuma: "Oh thank you."


Andy: "I'm heading to that restaurant over there. Feel free to join me."


Takuma: "Definitely. Right after sort out my stuff in the room.



Half an hour later, Takuma joins Andy for dinner at the restaurant right around the lobby. It's a big buffet restaurant serving various culinary dishes from known parts of the globe. The two men are eating and then Takuma resumes what they've talked about earlier.



Takuma: "So, getting back to the topic earlier."


Andy: "Oh that."


Takuma: "What happened? Did the car break or something?"


Andy: "It's not like that. I can't beat Kiehl's lap time."


Takuma: "Ah yes, the challenge. I know how you feel."


Andy: "He's pushing us like never before. I have a hunch..."


Takuma: "What hunch?"


Andy: "Nigel mentioned to me that Kiehl is one of our biggest fans."


Takuma: "Everyone we meet on post-race parties claims that."


Andy: "Don't you get it? What would a diehard fan have? Knowledge."


Takuma: "I hope it's not as bad as stalking."


Andy: "I don't think it's exaggerating. Since he is a race car driver, he may have observed our methods."


Takuma: "And use them against us?"


Andy: "Exactly. The way he drove and posted that lap time, it's very similar to us provoking our rivalling teams to get them worked up."


Takuma puts up a grin on his face.


Takuma: "Heh."


Andy: "What a reaction."


Takuma: "Then that just goes to show that we have to raise the stakes higher. Raise the hurdle."


Andy: "Like... we push further? Beyond our limits?"


Takuma: "Of course... even if it's way past. That's one of the late Sir Ben's lessons taught to me. This level of tension is even heavier than the time we faced Blue Streak. I say I welcome it."


Andy: "Ha! I think you're taking this personally now, since Kiehl surprised you too."


Takuma: "Kiehl Muller's name is already on my list the moment he pushed me too far when I chased him at the Nurburgring. The Yellow Flash has angered the Black Dragon."



**********************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Autodromo Lago Maggiore
Time: 10:15 am, two days later



As Nigel reported, the weather for today's race is sunny with clear skies. Even with a cool weather at 18 degrees Celsius, the heat can figuratively be felt as the tension between Dream Alliance and Blitzgelb. The bright yellow Porsche 911 RSR is being swarmed by racing fans taking photos of it.


Hiroyuki: "Ah the social media generation. Sometimes putting up unnecessary hype...."


Takuma: "We still have our fans. I mean... Yuki is good on group selfies for our fans."


Hiroyuki: "I hope Andy has shaken off his disappointment and puts back his focus."


Takuma: "Kiehl is no joke. There are also three drivers in his team, but Kiehl is obviously the top dog."


Meanwhile, inside the pit garage, Andy is doing his warm up stretching as he will be the first driver. He briefly sinks to his thoughts...


Andy: "No matter what, I have to show him. No... I'm not referring to Kiehl, but to Alan. I have to show him that I'm stronger and not the coward like he is."



An hour later, the race has started. For the first half of the race, Blitzgelb's RSR is way ahead of Dream Alliance's M6 thanks to the Porsche's speed...


(Background Music)


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Nigel is looking at the screen where the times are displayed. Hiroyuki approaches him.


Hiroyuki: "Any news?"


Nigel: "This doesn't look good for us. Kiehl is consistently putting up the fastest lap times. The only time we're keeping up is when that RSR enters the pits."


Hiroyuki: "So we still have an advantage after all. Fuel economy."


Nigel: "But even then, if his pace keeps that way..."




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Nigel: "...we'll never be able to catch him at all."



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Meanwhile, the struggle continues for Andy.


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Andy: "Nigel! How's Kiehl's lap time?"


Nigel: "The RSR is still on the 1 minute 56 second range! Your fastest lap time is actually just 400 milliseconds slower than the Porsche."




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After hearing the cyborg's answer, Andy's right foot applies more pressure on the accelerator.



Andy: "How in blue blazes am I going to catch him?! I can't sacrifice the only advantage I have!"


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Andy: "I honestly don't believe in miracles... but I think I'M GOING TO NEED ONE!"


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End of Page 5


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DUEL CONDITIONS:


- If this is your first time reading this, then I'll let you know that I ask readers a favor for duels. The setups are posted, and definitely the livery will be shared (but only for Friends)

- The volunteer must have the M6 GT3 (M Power Livery version), and here is the setting:


M6Setup1.jpg



M6Setup2.jpg



M6Setup3.jpg


For gearbox setting, here are the steps:

1. Set Top Speed
2. Adjust individual gear ratios
3. Set the Final Drive Ratio


The time for the duel: 5:00 AM (GMT+8) tomorrow. That's 9 pm on GMT.


Thanks in advance!


















 
Page 6: Stuttgart vs. Bavaria



"I need a miracle..."


"I can't let the team down like this!"



An hour or so has passed. There are only eleven laps left. The RSR is still way ahead of the group...



Andy's chances of victory are slipping to almost nil. When suddenly...


...a radio transmission arrives. From Nigel.


Nigel: "The RSR will enter the pit lane due to a brake issue! Now's your chance! Please floor it!"


The one thing that Andy denies is coming to his aid. His fighting spirit is reinvigorated in a snap.


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The Blitzgelb crew rush outside their garage as they prepare to exchange the brakes. Kiehl's teammate gets out, and the seasoned newcomer once again enters the fray.


Kiehl: "I have the utmost confidence that the mechanics will patch this up in full efficiency. But Andy is no joke... he is coming fast!"



One of the crew manages to hear the M6's engine note approaching.


Crew member: "The Bimmer is coming!"


The front brakes have been finally replaced along with a new set of rubber. The car has been lifted down. Kiehl firms his grasp on the wheel and starts to accelerate.


The miracle that Andy is expecting is within his sight as he begins another lap. Finally...


...their clash can begin. The final ten laps are the most crucial, yet the most tense part of the race.


(Background Music)



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Andy: "Yo, Kiehl! Missed me so much?"


The reinvigorated American driver locks on the bright yellow Porsche on the straight.

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Approaching the hairpin, Andy takes the inside for the pass.


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Andy: "You've got new brakes, am I right? You gotta take it easy on them first!"


Kiehl: "Andy takes advantage of his expertise in mechanics here! He knows that this car has new brakes!"



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Obviously, Kiehl isn't willing to give his quarter. He uses the S-turns to switch lanes and manages to grab the inside for another pass.


Kiehl: "Not for long!"



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The RSR makes quick work on the overtake.



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Andy: "You really want to play, huh? I'm ready for your game!"



Approaching the tight hairpin, Andy once again guns for the inside knowing full well of Kiehl's setback.


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Andy: "How do you like them apples, huh?!"


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The spectators and even the racing teams are on the edge of their seats. Even those watching the live stream in their homes can't afford to leave because of the unexpected happening.


Hiroyuki: "Andy has moved up. A truly spectacular revelation."


Takuma: "I agree, I have never seen him like this."


The two cars swap positions once more, as Kiehl adapts Andy's attack that was performed against him twice.



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Kiehl: "Most front engined cars can't turn in this corner easily. A mid-engined car would prevail!"


Andy utters a brief sigh. This chain of constantly switching positions has to stop.


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Andy: "Okay... just nine laps remain. I have to break his composure."


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Andy: "I will bring home the bacon, Dream Alliance! Hey, Owen... are you watching this right now?"





End of Page 6


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Page 7: Visit



Nine laps remain. The racing world already feels the tension even though it's just the beginning of the championship. Andy has proven to everyone that he can put up an astonishing fight like his peers.


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Kiehl: "Good. He's still hanging on. Andy Midfield... you surprised me, to be honest."


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Andy is feathering the throttle as he takes on the deceptively simple hairpin, as the M6's boost can come too strong.


pageseven3.jpg


Kiehl: "That's what I am truly expecting from the Dream Alliance. I consider myself honored to finally lock horns with you!"


pageseven4.jpg




Kiehl: "But I have to get out of my comfort zone and stop being just a fan of yours! I am carving a path in the racing world too, you know?!"


With renewed determination, Kiehl steps on further. He intends to break the shackles of being just a big diehard follower.



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Andy: "Tch! That corner always gets me!"


The two cars are at the main straight once again. Eight laps left.


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Meanwhile, in Los Angeles...



Julie Meade is in her posh Beverly Hills home. Even though her house is large enough to put a family in, it turns out that she lives on her own.


It's 2 in the morning, and yet she is still in her room, awake and watching the live stream of the race via the FIA website on her personal computer.


She is smiling as she observes the duel.

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Julie: "Oh how nice. Those two. I never expected that they will clash. Oh how fate loves to play games."


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Then all of a sudden, "Some Guy" makes a call. Julie picks up her smartphone placed just beside the keyboard.


Julie: "Oh hello. Still awake? Are you also watching?"


Some Guy: "Of course. Don't underestimate destiny. Destiny brought the two together... and eventually... to you."


Julie's cheerful mood suddenly erased the moment she heard the last word.


Julie: "What are you implying?"


Some Guy:
"Kiehl Muller. And if I were you, I will face him... in order to move on."


Julie:
"That's what I'm planning to do. In fact, I booked a flight to Germany yesterday."


Some Guy: "Me too."


Julie:
"What?! I thought you want to come out in the open when "time comes"? What are you planning to do?"


Some Guy: "I finally found out where Alan is hiding. I must act before he can even reach his crutches."



Back in the race...


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Kiehl: "Still relying on aggression? That will eventually cost you!"


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The lead became short-lived, however... as Andy feels the M6's front tires about to lose grip.


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Andy: "I have no plans to pit in! Hang on, little Bimmer."



Seven laps left...

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But Andy's aggression pays off, as even the composed Kiehl is starting to be overwhelmed by the pressure.

The pressure made Kiehl brake too late for the first corner.


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Kiehl: "Scheiße!"


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Returning to the conversation between the two mysterious persons....


Julie: "What are you going to do with Alan?"


Some Guy: "Simple. I am not letting him lay a finger again to my son... Andy."


Julie: "Oh... typical fatherly love."


Some Guy: "Time to throw away the "Some Guy" name. Russell Midfield has a lot to catch up on."



End of Page 7


NOTES:

- Next page will actually be the last part of the race. But why?

- So Andy's father is alive after all. He will play a small role here, but he will be a major character in another story arc.
 
Page 8: Fighting Spirit


Six laps remain...


Even after being succumbed by the pressure, Kiehl manages to recover. The Porsche has proven to have better tire management.


(Background Music)



pageeight1.jpg



...while the M6 is being held back by the losing front tire grip.





pageeight2.jpg



Andy: "Hold on. Please hold on for me!"




pageeight3.jpg



Andy: "Calm down. Six laps are still a plenty of time to strategize."


pageeight4.jpg



However, back in the pit lane...



Nigel is monitoring the M6's telemetry. And his eyes widened as he sees a sudden anomaly in the readings.

Nigel: "Oh no!"


Takuma: "What is it?"


Nigel turns on the radio communication, in order to alert Andy.


Nigel: "Mr. Andy! THE CAR'S OIL AND WATER TEMPERATURE READINGS ARE SHOOTING UP TO THEIR CRITICAL LEVELS! YOU MUST STOP!"




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Hearing the sudden setback, Andy looks at the car's gauges. Nigel's warning is proven to be correct.


Andy: "DAMMIT! AFTER ALL I WENT THROUGH?!"


Smoke is seen coming out from the hood intakes, prompting Andy to slow down.


Andy: "What is happening? Am I not yet worthy?"


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Kiehl briefly notices the M6's retirement from the race. His widened eyes show a genuine display of shock.


Kiehl: "Engine trouble? I kinda see smoke from the BMW's hood."


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Kiehl's victory is secured, even if there are five more laps to go. His arms are relaxed... having let the tension go.


Meanwhile, Andy hits the steering wheel in disappointment, and then sees the Dream Alliance crew running towards the car. In the pit garage, Hiroyuki heads back to the caravan without uttering a word. Takuma took it as a sign, and then orders the rest of the crew to start packing up.




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Kiehl: "That's to be expected from battling with Dream Alliance. I now know how the other racing teams felt. Don't be discouraged. You fought valiantly, and I will commend you for that. My respect for the team will always be high...



"...but for now, allow me to shine. Let me show you that I truly deserve your respect!"







End of Page 8








Coming Soon™


pageieght10.jpg



 
Page 9: Saboteur


Dream Alliance retires for the first round... the M6 GT3 has lost its will to fight... and so does Andy.


The crew members are opening the hood to let the heat out. A heavy puff of smoke comes out of the engine bay.

It's obvious on Andy's face that he's disappointed. His smirk gave away the meaning.


Andy: "In street racing, borrowing someone else's car is completely taboo. And breaking it is equivalent to losing your pride."


Takuma pats his hand on Andy's shoulder, in an attempt to appease him.


Takuma: "But this isn't street racing, Andy. This isn't your fault. You gave everything you have. Having done that, and having impressed your opponent and the crowd could be considered a victory on your part. This didn't end up for nothing."


Having frustration completely overwhelming him, Andy places his helmet on the table and starts undressing the racing suit while walking away. Takuma could only look on as he failed to convince his teammate.


Takuma: "For Andy to push this hard and breaking the car... Kiehl is on a whole other level. We have miscalculated."



The only thing for Takuma left to do is to assist in cleaning up the pit garage. They will leave ahead of the other teams.



***************************************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Paris, France
Time: 5 pm, three days later.



In Paris, France...


It's the usual weekday routine for everyone. The sun is about to set and everyone is pretty much heading back home.

In a boulevard, a widebody Peugeot RCZ captures the attention of the bystanders. Underneath, the car has done radical modifications, as evident with the loud idle exhaust sound.

pagenine1.jpg



It stopped as the traffic light shows red. The driver in question is no other than Louis. He briefly looks at his smartphone and checks the latest in racing news. His eyes widened as he spots a particular article, and it's trending right now.

This prompts Louis to call his rival, Rob. He puts the phone on loudspeak.


Louis: "Oi, mon cherie! What has your team done?"


Rob: "Of course you'll know about it, mon ami."


Louis: "I thought Dream Alliance does not back down on a fight? And now why would your team RETIRE for the entire season?"


Rob: "I cannot bear you the details, Frenchie. I'm already working double time to find out who's behind this."


When the light turned green, Louis lifts the clutch with his left foot along with simultaneously stepping on the accelerator with his right foot.


Louis: "Someone is behind this?"


Rob: "Okay. This is the line you won't cross, Louis. Now let's move on to a different topic, shall we? Good thing you called, as I will tell something equally important."


And so they open up an entirely different discussion as Louis cruises along the vibrant metropolis.



***************************************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Nurburgring Nordschleife, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 12 pm, the next day



Even with victory secured on the first round, Kiehl simply won't sit on his laurels. Right after the race ended, he already ordered some more adjustments to be done on the RSR.


Four days later after the race, he and his team are off to Nurburgring. His other drivers were ordered to take a rest, though...



pagenine2.jpg


Visually, not much has changed. Just a different set of rims and retouched the livery.


Kiehl is at the track since morning to test out various adjustments. After all, the M6 GT3 did put up a difficult fight for the RSR.


pagenine3.jpg



And then he crossed the line in 6 minutes and 40.9 seconds - almost two seconds faster than his previous record, and the fastest for today.


pagenine4.jpg



His team chief - Albert Neumann contacts him via the radio.


Albert: "All right, Kiehl. You definitely need a lunch break. After that, we'll leave."


Kiehl: "Oh really? Okay..."


Kiehl heeds to the order, and once he returned to the pit garage, he takes off his racing suit and helmet. Albert hands over his lunch.



pagenine5.jpg



Albert: "You've beaten your previous record by two seconds. I guess we can call this a day. Besides, even gods take a break."


Kiehl: "I guess I have been pushing it too far."



Albert:
"Keep this up and you might end up breaking this car the same way the Dream Alliance did. Oh, speaking of... have you heard the news?"


Kiehl: "What news?"


Albert: "Your idol Dream Alliance is retiring for the ENTIRE season. They didn't even state the reason why. Well... only internal."


Kiehl: "I wonder what's wrong? Dream Alliance won't back down even if they lost the first round. This may be major."


Kiehl starts to eat his well-deserved lunch. After all, he spent half the day running around the Green Hell.




************************************************************************************************************************************************************


Location: Dream Alliance HQ, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 7 pm



What could have been dinner, is instead another emergency meeting. Hiroyuki gathers everyone in the conference room. Rob is present as well, while Andy is still gloomy.


Hiroyuki: "Thank you all for coming. As you may know, every sports media outlet is blurting out what happened to us."


Takuma:
"Our fans are wondering, even making up speculations."


Rob:
"We just lost another major sponsor today."


Hiroyuki: "As you can see, I normally contact our sponsors every after race, regardless of our result. But now, they won't even answer my calls."


Rob: "And then they've suddenly contacted us telling they're backing off. Now this isn't normal. We have been defeated in few occasions and yet no sponsor would back out immediately after a single race."


Hiroyuki: "And this is precisely why we have to retire and face an entirely different battle. I have a hunch that someone is behind this... pirating our sponsors."



Rob: "And I will take care of the investigation."



Hiroyuki: "Thank you, Rob. And when I found out who that is, he or she will have to face the consequences. No one likes my wrath. No one. Slapping Kazunori Yamauchi back then was just a taste."





The wind will blow in a different direction for Dream Alliance. Hiroyuki Hiramoto has now taken the matter personally. Nigel is showing his concern, as the cyborg notices the team chief clenching his fists.



End of Page 9










 
Page 10 - Business



Location: Nurburgring Nordschleife, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 7 pm, the next day


The serene hills of Eifel have once again been invaded by another engine roar. Though the symphony differs from the 911 RSR's battle cry.


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A heavily modified Volkswagen Beetle... tailored to meet FIA Gr.3 specifications. The choice of vehicle could be considered questionable at best. After all, the car is meant to be sold in a niche market - the trendy owners.



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However, with the season already in full swing, what it can only do is a demonstration of its capabilities.



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The quirky race car belongs to Petroheads Racing, an upstart racing team also based in Germany.


Having noticed that the sun is about to part ways, the driver decided to call it a day. Overlooking the testing is none other than Julie.


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Julie: "It doesn't really matter if it won't get points for the entire season. There are teams more deserving of attention than Dream Alliance. They have to stop acting like they're heroes. Seriously."


However, someone is making a surprise visit...


...and it's Russell Midfield. He is donning a black trenchcoat along with a pair of sunglasses. His face does show signs of ageing, though.


Russell: "So here you are. Trying out your new toy?"


Julie: "Petroheads Racing is in dire need of finances. I decided to be the Good Samaritan."


Russell: "Is that so? Make sure your investment is worth it. You, of all people, should know that."


Julie: "A businesswoman must always make the right decisions, even if it takes a long time to think over."


Then the driver of the Beetle joins the pair, wearing a purple race suit matching the car's livery. His name is Fritz Schmidt. His age is similar to Kiehl's, and just as tall.


Fritz: "6 minutes and 40 seconds. Exactly the time record set by Kiehl Muller."


Julie: "Wonderful. That should send a message to your nemesis, am I right? Graduated second on his batch, a rank lower than Kiehl's."


Fritz: "Soon enough, I'm no longer under his shadow. I've waited for far too long for my comeback."


Julie: "I hope your motivation stays that way. Now shall we go? Let's go to the restaurant. I'm hungry. Oh, by the way, this is Russell Midfield, a friend of mine."


Russell only glances at the racer, then he turns his back and walks away.


Russell: "Hmph. Let's go. We have business to talk to, am I right? Time is of the essence."


Having seen the gesture, Julie could only smirk.


Julie: "You don't have to be so cold."


************************************************************************************************************************************************************


Location: Ahrweiler
Time: 7:30 pm


The trio head over to a restaurant to have their fill. They don't mind the busy and noisy atmosphere of the dining area as they wait for their food. Meanwhile Russell is realigning his sunglasses.


Julie: "Take that off. You're no criminal, aren't you?"


Russell: "Start your business with him. Don't mind me."


The businesswoman then turns her attention to the race car driver.


Julie: "Listen up. I now have the helm of your racing team. This is just between the three of us, okay?"


Fritz: "Why does it have to be so secretive?"


Julie: "Because the Dream Alliance acts like vigilantes on the track. You have now seen how the Vision GT Program had fallen. It had so much promise, though mismanaged and lives were even lost in the process. My role is to simply revive it, the cleanest and surest way I can think of."


Fritz: "Technically, I'm under that program?"


Julie: "Of course, dear. And you, and your teammates have the wonderful opportunity to test out every single car we'll come up with. Plus, as a bonus, you will meet the true person in charge."


Fritz: "Sounds wonderful."


Julie: "I have successfully taken away Dream Alliance's major sponsors and they're on our side now. A businesswoman knows what's the best deal. Seeing them back off the entire season wasn't part of the plan, but I still like it nonetheless."


Fritz: "You have some sort of grudge against them."


Julie: "The best trick in the book to get rid of the competition? Acquisition. Simple as that. At the end of the day, it's still all about the money. Now you know why I managed to grow my father's company even bigger.


Now all you can do, is you focus on your rival. Be careful, Kiehl isn't to be taken lightly right now. You saw how he defeated the Dream Alliance in the first round. I do the business, while you do the driving. Do I now make myself clear?"


Fritz: "Understood."


As if on cue, the waiter arrived with their orders.


Julie: "Oh perfect timing. Let's enjoy the feast."



************************************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Kiehl's home, Stuttgart
Time: 12 am



In a cozy home located at the hills of Stuttgart, Kiehl is seen heading back to his room, after having finished his movie marathon.

Before he could even get into the bathroom for a shower, his phone rings. It's just Albert. Kiehl pressed the loudspeaker and then sits on his bed.


Albert: "Hello?"

Kiehl: "Oh hey, sir."


Albert: "Our flight to Japan will leave at the afternoon. Have you done packing?"

Kiehl: "Of course."


Albert: "By the way, your new teammate will also come with us."


Kiehl: "I see. I haven't met him, though..."


Albert: "Correction. That's a her. You'll be able to meet her once we arrive at the airport."


Kiehl: "A woman, huh? That could be a nice change of pace."


Albert: "Oddly enough, she shares the same goal as yours. And I thought you know her based on that."


Kiehl: "Heh. That even encourages me to meet her even more. Kindred spirits, perhaps."


Albert: "But on a serious matter... the next round is Suzuka Circuit, as I have briefed you in the E-mail yesterday."


Kiehl: "Suzuka Circuit, huh?"



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Kiehl puts up a smile on his face, signifying his eagerness for the next bout.


Kiehl: "Looks like I'm still trifling with the Dream Alliance. After all, one of their racers treats that track as his stronghold."




End of Page 10



































 
Page 11 - Stronghold



Location: Tokyo, Japan
Time: 7 pm; the next day



The entire Blitzgelb crew has arrived in Japan, earlier than the rest of the teams so as to give time for leisure before getting serious with work.

Having settled with the accommodations, Kiehl wanders off, intent on exploring the metropolis. He then gets something from his jacket's pocket.

A piece of paper. Kiehl takes a brief moment to read. It turns out to be the directions to a certain location.


He first takes the train. He is surprised by the bustling commuters of the Shinjuku station, one of the largest train stations in the country. Typical to a foreigner, he encounters a struggle that every first timer has - the language barrier. He couldn't ask a person, let alone the station staff as he is very aware that only a handful of Japanese can speak English.

Luckily for him, however, Tokyo's government is ramping up its tourism as the 2020 Olympics is drawing near. Street signs are slowly adapting the English language, and of course... train stations. He finally finds the station names written in English, just above the ticket machines. Plus, the machines themselves also have English translations.

With the initial struggle taken care of, he inserts the necessary amount in the machine, then he presses the desired station he'll get off.

Kiehl then looks back up the station line map.


Kiehl: "Green line. Got it."


And so he navigates himself through the humongous station. He follows the directions leading to the green line of JR trains.


He ascends through the steps leading to the platform. He meets the sight of presumably office workers trying to get home, queuing for the next train.


The train arrives. He manages to get in, albeit squeezing with the commuters.



Half an hour later, he gets off the destination. He is now at Aoyama area.


Kiehl takes a stroll, and it seems that he's nearing to his destination. He turns left.

A white Corvette passes by, and then stops by at a home.



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The wide car briefly gains Kiehl's attention, and then its driver steps out. He is none other than Takanori Kanonji. Being a huge fan of Dream Alliance, Kiehl instantly recognizes him.


Kiehl: "Um.... are you Takanori Kanonji-san?"


Takanori: "Ah yes! How may I help you?"


Kiehl: "You speak with an American accent. Oh, I am Kiehl Muller. Nice to meet you. Hajimemashte? Is that correct?"


Takanori is delighted to hear the correct intonation of that Japanese word.


Takanori: "That's right! And... I heard about you. Oh, I shall introduce to you to the mochi shop. Right here."


In front of Takanori's home is of course is the newly refurbished Kanonji Mochi Shop. The two men enter, and they are greeted by Tomoko Kanonji, Takanori's mother.

Tomoko is still exuding grace even in her mid-50s. She even has less wrinkles than a woman typical of her age.


Takanori: "Tadaima!" (I'm home!)


Tomoko:
"Okaerinasai." (Welcome back.)


Takanori:
"Kaasan... kare wa sakki katatta hito da yo. Namae wa Kiehl Muller da." (Mother, he is the one I've talked about recently. He's Kiehl Muller).


Even though obviously he cannot comprehend the conversation, Kiehl simply bows as a sign of greeting and respect.


Tomoko:
"Oh, I see. My son speaks praises of you!"


Kiehl: "Ahaha. Oh well, that was just one race."


Tomoko: "Heehee. Anyway, please take time to choose which one you want. Our best seller is the red bean mochi."


Takanori: "And I will treat you this time. No worries."


Kiehl's face slightly blushes showing a hint of embarrassment.


Kiehl: "Really? Is that okay?"


Takanori: "Kaasan, Combo 1 chodai!" (Mom, Combo 1 please!)


Takanori then shows Kiehl what Combo 1 is. It's basically a dozen of mochi in selected various flavors. While Tomoko instructs the shop crew to prepare the said order, the two men settle at a table.


Takanori: "You're here for the second round, am I right?"


Kiehl: "Yeah, kinda nervous already. But pardon me if I'll bring this up."


Takanori: "Eh? What is it?"


Kiehl: "What happened to your team recently. I feel so bad about it. In fact I didn't rejoice much in my victory. Don't take this as a provocation. I am genuinely concerned."


Takanori: "No worries. I'm thankful that you're concerned, and it's rare for us to have rivals like you. Hiroyuki-san is getting to the bottom of this. And I can't do anything about it... since I was ordered to focus on the debut of Dream Alliance Japan."


Kiehl: "Dream Alliance Japan?"


Takanori: "Yes, a division that operates separately from Dream Alliance Global. We are to handle newcomers and will make this country their training ground. Foreigners who applied via Dream Alliance Global will be sent over here for assessment and training. I am now the head honcho. Man... I have so much work to do! I even had to quit my job as a car reviewer along with my teammates and focus on this new team."


Kiehl: "That's really nice. To think Hiroyuki-san entrusts you to manage an entire team."


Takanori: "It's no joke! And we are to participate in FIA Gr.4 racing. Perfect for aspiring racers. I've got my hands full!"


Kiehl: "I'm jealous right now. I wonder when I'll be able to have my own team?"


Takanori: "If you work hard enough, who knows?"


Then Tomoko arrives with the order. The mochi are now larger than the typical ones seen in tourist shops.


Tomoko: "Omataseshimashta." (Sorry to keep you waiting.)


Kiehl is impressed with the colorful variety of the confectionery.


Kiehl: "Wow! Well, now I know why this place is world famous."



***************************************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Suzuka Circuit, Mie Prefecture
Time: 12 pm, the next day



Blitzgelb is granted access to practice at Suzuka Circuit for the race on the weekend. The rest of the teams will be able to do so tomorrow, however.


The team had arrived in the circuit by the morning, and Kiehl shows a hint of lack of sleep, since his conversation with Takanori took longer than expected and he returned to the hotel quite late.


As he is about to doze off, a woman arrives, sitting beside him.


???: "So... you're Kiehl Muller."


Kiehl: "Yes."


He faces the woman, she has a maple long hair and rose colored lips. She is Rebecca Crewe, a British racing driver now residing in Germany due to her new job.


Rebecca: "My name is Rebecca Crewe. I'm a race car driver longer than you are. But I am eager to learn, still.


Kiehl shows a grin as a reaction to the woman's confidence.


Rebecca: "So you've one-shotted Dream Alliance in the first round... and they backed off for a mysterious reason."


Kiehl: "That was a tough fight."


Rebecca: "Of course it is."


Kiehl: "So... why did you join us, if I may ask?"


Rebecca then gives a serious look, albeit briefly as she quickly returns to her smile.


Rebecca: "The real reason? Heh..."


She places her left arm on the waist, and shows another smile... but now a devious one.


Rebecca: "So that there won't be another Dennis Hatch in the making. Oh.. and one more thing. One that even Albert does not know about."


She briefly looks around for people who may be watching their exchange. Having seen everyone busy working on the car, Rebecca moves in closer to Kiehl's ear.


Rebecca: "We share the same enemy. JULIE MEADE."


Having heard her rather devious whisper, Kiehl's eyes widened and shows a brief gasp on his face.


With him visibly shaken, Rebecca then places are hands on Kiehl's shoulders and smiles yet again in an attempt to diffuse the tension.


Rebecca: "It will be nice working with you, then. Ciao!"


The female driver joins the crew in inspecting the RSR. Kiehl looks at her.


Kiehl: "How does she know? Plus... Julie Meade. I thought that name will be blown away by the wind. Who would've thought I'd hear that again."



Albert then approaches Kiehl.


Albert: "You okay? You definitely need more sleep."


Kiehl vigorously shakes his head just to forget his brief exchange with Rebecca and as well as to ease the tension.


Kiehl: "I'm okay. Is the car ready?"


Albert: "Yes. You can go anytime."


Kiehl starts to walk towards the car and then puts his helmet on.


He then sets off without a word, while Rebecca stands by crossing her arms with a smile.


Rebecca: "We have so much in common. And that Julie... she won't see what's coming."


Kiehl shifts his thoughts. He has to focus on the job at hand.


(Background Music)



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Kiehl: "Gotta focus."


His train of thought once again returns to a certain person of interest in Dream Alliance, since he is now in Suzuka.


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Kiehl: "Legend has it that even from beyond the grave, he still piloted the famous Castrol TOM'S Supra. Such a strong will."



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Kiehl: "I don't particularly believe in the paranormal, but the fact that Nobuhiko Hiramoto returned as a different person made me pique my interest to him."



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Kiehl: "Even today, Suzuka is still his stronghold. No one could ever beat him here."


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Approaching a high speed sweeper, he steps one notch down on the throttle.


Kiehl: "Suzuka can be surprisingly technical. I thought so. In anticipation, I reduced this car's weight but also its power, just so I can take it easier on the tires.



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Kiehl: "Will I be able to step up to the challenge? Will Nobuhiko Hiramoto take me on seriously one day?"


Eagerness has come to dominate Kiehl's mind. He firms his grip on the wheel, and his right foot fully down.




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Kiehl: "I am waiting for that day to happen."





End of Page 11









 
VOLUNTEER NEEDED!



Car: VW Beetle Gr. 3. Livery is already shared (if you aren't my friend in PSN, simply send a Friend Request)


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SETUP:

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Time: 7:00 AM (GMT + 8), 5:00 PM (GMT + 8), or 8:00 PM (GMT + 8)
Track: Suzuka Circuit
 
Page 12: Anonymous



Location: Suzuka Circuit, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Time: 12 pm, three days later.



The world famous Suzuka Circuit opens its doors to spectators as the race day begins. The audience isn't limited to the Japanese, obviously, as racing fans all over the world flock to witness the second round of the FIA Gr.3 Championship.


While some are wondering what future holds for the Dream Alliance after their immediate retirement from the season, others are actually queuing up to a certain pit garage.

It turns out, that Takanori organized a debut performance for the official introduction of Dream Alliance Japan. He is swarmed by legions of fans asking for an autograph, despite the security doing their very best to control the crowd.

Kiehl could do nothing but observe the commotion.


Kiehl: "Takanori-san DOES have his hands full. And his twin is obviously in there too. They act as if they don't have a dilemma."



He then turns his back and returns his way to his team's pit garage. Then suddenly, as he look to his right...


...he spots a familiar face attending to his crew.



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Kiehl: "Fritz?"


Having heard his name, Fritz looks back and immediately approaches his would-be nemesis and former batch mate.


Fritz: "Oh I've been waiting for you."


Kiehl: "You've joined in the championship too? Haven't seen you in the first round."


Fritz: "I'm only here for a demonstration. We have to introduce the team to everyone. We will join in a different category soon, as a start."


Kiehl: "I see."


Fritz: "Keep in mind though, things will be different from here on. Sure, I gain no points from this effort, but allow me to show you how much I've changed."


Feeling that their old rivalry is being reignited, Kiehl simply puts up a smile.


Kiehl: "I'm not robbing that from you. Just give your best."


Kiehl then gives a pat on Fritz's shoulder and then walks away.



Kiehl heads back to his team's garage, and in an instant lets Albert know of what transpired.


Albert: "Petroheads Racing is back? Just after a month of declaring bankruptcy?"


Rebecca: "Not even a big company would rise back up for such a short period of time. Something is... out of the ordinary."


Kiehl: "I agree. But they're not going to earn points and they'll only be here for this round. Still, I think Fritz will stir up trouble soon."



While in the middle of setting up the Porsche, they hear a loud female host announcing the debut of the Dream Alliance Japan, just in Japanese language. The volume alone was enough to gain everyone's attention.


They hear a high pitched noise roaring down the main straight. A Lamborghini Huracan...



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Piloting the car is none other than Takuma, and then all of a sudden, he pulls a long stalk towards him. Apparently, it's a hydraulic handbrake that drifters use.

The raging bull puts up a show in the first corner, with Takuma applying the opposite lock.


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The drift specification Huracan won the European Drifting Championship just before the end of last year.


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It continues on oversteering in the series of corners. Being an expert on Lamborghinis, Takuma has it all under control.


During the performance, the female host declares all the details of the newly formed team.


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"Dream Alliance Japan is a new team operating under Dream Alliance Global. Its true purpose is to scout and nurture future talents that will soon to be stars of the racing world. They have intentions of joining the FIA Gr.4 championship a few months from now.
Applications are still ongoing. So if you have a dream to become a race car driver, please inquire at the Pit Garage number 5 where the team is currently located. They will give you instructions for the application procedure.


WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU, LET US BEGIN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE FIA GR.3 CHAMPIONSHIP!"



After that brief show of performance, the teams resume their duties. Every last minute set ups are performed, based on their qualifying stints earlier.


Kiehl puts his helmet on. His focus is once again shifted to winning the race. But he is completely aware of Fritz's presence, and how it will affect his performance.


Half an hour later, the cars lined up for a rolling start. One lap is dedicated to warming up their tires, as the cars are seen swerving left and right until they return to the main straight.


With the flag dropped, the race machines start to wage war. Full throttle.




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In the Dream Alliance's pit garage, Takuma is busy speaking with potential applicants, and then Hiroyuki simply watches at what's transpiring.

Meanwhile, Rob is sitting on a bench, with his laptop on a table. While busy typing, the laptop suddenly displays an e-mail notification.

To get that perceived nuisance out of the way, Rob clicks it. It is from someone named "YouKnowMe"




"This is to let you know that I'll be sending a gift. In fact, there's two of them. You will be pleasantly be surprised.
YOU WILL THANK ME LATER.

And by the way, I know exactly what you have been doing outside your team.
I guess you really are living up to the "YOU DON'T KNOW ME, YOU'RE ABOUT TO" catchphrase.

Regards."


In an instant, Rob closes his laptop, followed with a smirk. He then looks around to check if someone was watching. Swiftly, he unplugs the laptop and places it in his bag. He then joins the rest as if nothing had happened, complete with a smile.


Back in the race, the Beetle's performance stunned the competition. Who would have thought a trendy personal coupe would join the roster of serious performance machinery.


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On the bleachers viewing the high-speed 130R corner, Nobuhiko and Yuki are among the audience.


Yuki: "Senpai... do you think Blitzgelb will win again?"


Nobuhiko: "I haven't watched the first round. I should be the one asking you that. Hehe."


Yuki: "Even I wasn't able to keep up with that Porsche. I shouldn't have given Andy a hard time back then."


While watching the cars traversing through the turn, Yuki manages to hear the familiar Flat Six engine note of the RSR.


Yuki: "It's coming!"


(Background Music)


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With the RSR in plain sight overtaking the Ferrari 458 GT3, Nobuhiko immediately displays his shock and awe.


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Yuki: "Senpai? What's wrong?"


Nobuhiko: "He took on the 130R... as fast as I can do. He attacked it as if there's no car blocking him!"


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Nobuhiko: "It's almost impossible to overtake on the outside at the 130R. It doesn't matter if he brake or decelerate like I do. The fact that he tackled it with zero hesitation...


...makes me want to race him!"



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End of Page 12




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Page 13 - Beetle vs. Beetle



As the second round rages on, the Dream Alliance closely monitors the 911 RSR's performance. Among the crew, Hiroyuki seems to be the most fascinated.


Hiroyuki: "Quite an interesting day today, Nigel. Who would have thought that two of your best students would clash someday?"


The cyborg nods in agreement, while setting aside some application papers on the table.


Nigel: "Yes. Back in my driving school, I have observed their rivalry brewing. 75% of the time they are at odds, and would even compete who has the best time in my driving tests. I even had to resort to restraining them."


Hiroyuki: "I am also fascinated on that Beetle. No one expected that."


Nigel: "Petroheads Racing declared bankruptcy and cease of operations just last month. It is quite sudden that they'll resurface. Recovery from such predicament takes years, if not months."


Hiroyuki: "Correct. Someone who has vast amounts of wealth would back that team up."



Then they notice the Beetle entering the pit lane, followed by the RSR.

The two cars stop by at their respective pit garages. Tire and driver changes commence. Rebecca gets out of the RSR as it is Kiehl's turn to take the helm. On Petroheads, Fritz is going to take charge of the driving. It's as if fate arranged their duel.


Then Takuma joins the conversation, sitting down on the bench as he intends to take a rest from the crowd.


Takuma: "Man, I'm not a PR person, but I think I did a pretty good job today."


Hiroyuki:
"Indeed. And your twin is also doing a great job in handling the new team."


Takuma: "Nah he can really take it. He complains, yes. But deep down he actually enjoys being the head honcho."


Hiroyuki: "On to a different topic... who do you think will win this time?"




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Takuma: "That Beetle is pretty darn fast. But the Porsche is right up the rear."


Hiroyuki: "Just my observation though. The Beetle gets its speed mainly because of the engine it has. It displays good pickup and its gearing is perfect."


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Takuma: "However, what about the RSR? It's not falling behind either."


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Hiroyuki: "The Porsche's naturally aspirated motor has better response and top end. But it's not only the engine that evens the odds."


(Background Music)


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Hiroyuki: "It's all down to how those cars were designed in the first place. Isn't it obvious?"


Takuma's eyes widened, a sign that he immediately understands Hiroyuki's logic.


Takuma: "Of course!"


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Takuma: "The Beetle is based on a family hatchback named the Golf, so it originally has utility in mind. It's just that the car was built for a different audience in mind. While the Porsche is built with motorsports know-how!


And its conversion to mid-engine is their way to step up their game!"




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Hiroyuki: "Plus, Nobuhiko will tell you that downforce plays a key role in Suzuka. Even by just looking at the two cars, you'll definitely tell which one will prevail in this round."


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Hiroyuki: "It doesn't matter if that Beetle was converted to RWD. There's no denying the fact that it still basically is a family hatchback, with focus on practicality.

Now, let's see how our number one fan exploits his advantage."




It's now time for the Porsche 911 RSR to unleash its trump card. The conversion to a mid-engine layout brings out bountiful benefits.




End of Page 13


 
Page 14 - Batchmates


Everyone's attention is on the two German racers. Fritz may be on the track only for the debut of his team, he takes things on a different level now that he's locking horns with his former batch mate.

One would not waste such opportunity.


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Fritz: "I don't care if I won't earn points here. As long as I can finally get out of his shadow, that will suffice."


The Beetle's torque advantage over the RSR shows at the corner exits.


Fritz: "I have fallen... and I had thought all were lost... until Ms. Meade came along took my plight. I will not waste her trust on me!"


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Fritz: "Maybe it should now be your turn to feel what I felt before. I was always seething whenever the rankings are shown right after our driving exams."


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Fritz: "But why? Why am I still feeling the pressure? I should have outpaced you. With all the money she invested in my team and this car... I shouldn't feel like this!"


Meanwhile, Kiehl maintains his composure...


Kiehl: "I don't understand you at all. Even now. Why would you be so insecure towards me? I'm just an ordinary person. I've got nothing to be jealous of."


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Kiehl: "Why focus your insecurities on me? You could have just focused on yourself. If you had done so, maybe you had outranked me in the class."


Then Kiehl makes a brief analysis on the Beetle in front of him.


Kiehl: "You've tuned that car well. I'll give you that. It has good gearing and manages to get out of corners faster than the RSR."


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However, that's all the praise he could give...



(Background Music)



Kiehl: "I'm sorry, but that's the only positive comment I have! You still haven't shaken off the one thing that keeps you from being number one!"



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As Kiehl prepares to strike, Fritz manages to anticipate it, and blocks the overtaking attempt at the first corner.


Fritz: "Where do you think you're going?! Stay right behind me! I'm giving you the opportunity to watch how much I've improved!"


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Kiehl hasn't ran out of options, obviously. The RSR's aerodynamic advantage provides him assistance all the way. He simply buries the throttle at that mid-speed corner.



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Kiehl: "I'm going to end this charade. Sorry mate, I have a personal record time to accomplish!"



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Approaching the hairpin, Kiehl takes the opportunity to strike once again, as the Beetle braked early.


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Kiehl: "Too soon!"

The RSR manages to shoot away from the Beetle, while still adequately slowing down for the hairpin.


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Fritz: "How dare you!"


Kiehl: "You rely too much on your resources...."


Fritz isn't ready to give up yet, however. He simply puts his foot down on the accelerator, summoning all the Beetle's power.


Fritz: "I can easily overtake you! This engine has more brute force!"



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Kiehl, however, simply looks ahead even though his opponent is inching closer.


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Kiehl: "Don't be too petty. You are fast, but you're still lacking something."



Fritz manages to get his lead back, but...



...upon braking, he stepped on the pedal too much. The effect of desperation shows.




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Fritz: "WHAT?!"


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The brakes have locked, an unfortunate situation for any racer.


Fritz: "FAULTY ABS?!"


The Beetle crashed on to the tire wall.


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Kiehl looks briefly at the crash. Then he steps on it as he still has a race to finish after all.


Kiehl: "See? That's the exact reason why you graduated 2nd of our class. If you had believed in yourself, then you could have been much greater."


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In the Dream Alliance pit garage, Hiroyuki simply walks away, returning to the caravan.


Takuma: "Eh? Where are you going, Hiroyuki-san?"


Hiroyuki: "It's done. Blitzgelb will win again. There's no way the others would keep up at this state. Kiehl is truly a mesmerizing force on the race track. Imagine if he's on our side."




End of Page 14

















 
Page 15 - Gifts





Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Time: 5 pm; two days later


Team Blitzgelb wins the second round as expected, and their brief duel with Petroheads Racing did add excitement in the air. Fritz came out with absolutely no injuries, fortunately.



Kiehl returns to his home, to recuperate. It turns out that Rebecca lives nearby, exactly a fifteen minute drive away from his home.


As he is preparing his dinner, his mind suddenly shifts back to thinking about her.


Kiehl: "By the way, what's the deal with Rebecca? How does she know about Julie Meade? Ugh... that name. I don't even want to..."


To shake off the trouble even for just a while, he gets his touch pad and then browses the internet for new recipes.



***************************************************************************************************************************************************************


Location: Dream Alliance HQ, Nurburg
Time: 7 pm


As the sun sets, Hiroyuki is in his room, sitting down on his sofa reading the Japanese newspapers, so as to keep tabs as to what's happening to his home country.


He then hears someone knocking on the door. He folds back the newspaper and places it on the desk.


Hiroyuki: "Come in."


It turns out to be Nigel, about to deliver a rather urgent message.


Nigel: "Mr. Rob Hatch wants to see you. In fact, he ordered everyone to gather in the conference room.


Hiroyuki: "All right. It seems to be very serious."


The two head downstairs. Rob is seen connecting his laptop on the projector at the conference room.


Since Rob is to project something on the screen, Hiroyuki didn't go to his seat and just stand by leaning on the glass pane.


Rob: "Gentlemen, I received a breakthrough for our case. Someone spilled the beans."


Takuma: "As expected from a spy-slash-agent-slash-martial artist-slash-race car driver."


Rob: "I didn't do much effort at all. Someone out there is a Good Samaritan. Listen up...


...during the race in Suzuka, an anonymous e-mail was sent to me, claiming that I had to receive two gifts. I initially didn't take it seriously, since it could be spam or a scam mail. But just the night before we left Japan, I received another one from the same person. It contains two videos. Now... I shall show you the first one...


Rob plays the first video file. The scene is at the restaurant, where Fritz and Julie are seen talking.


Julie: "I have successfully taken away Dream Alliance's major sponsors and they're on our side now. A businesswoman knows what's the best deal. Seeing them back off the entire season wasn't part of the plan, but I still like it nonetheless."


Fritz: "You have some sort of grudge against them."


Julie: "The best trick in the book to get rid of the competition? Acquisition. Simple as that. At the end of the day, it's still all about the money. Now you know why I managed to grow my father's company even bigger.


Now all you can do, is you focus on your rival. Be careful, Kiehl isn't to be taken lightly right now. You saw how he defeated the Dream Alliance in the first round. I do the business, while you do the driving. Do I now make myself clear?"



While Takuma, Andy, and Yuki show obvious surprise from their faces, Hiroyuki simply crosses his arms, in an attempt to control his rage. But Nigel's worried face shows that he can easily tell his boss isn't in a good mood...


Hiroyuki: "That one is Fritz, but that woman in question is...?"


Rob: "Julie Meade. A successful businesswoman from the US of A."


Nigel's eyes turn blue, as a sign that he is connecting to the internet and performing a search.


Nigel: "Looking up the internet. Name: Julie Meade. Performing search parameters.

Search complete.


Julie Meade. 36 years old. Resides in Los Angeles, California. Heiress of MeadeCorp. MeadeCorp is a multi-million dollar food conglomerate which recently acquired some rival food industries and as well as nurturing start up companies in the West Coast."


Rob: "Isn't it such a wonder that a businesswoman whose craft has nothing to do with racing would suddenly enter the world of speed?"


Takuma: "And treats it like a conglomerate that she wants to buy."


The first video clip ends. And Rob then plays the next.


It is a footage of Julie Meade entering the FIA headquarters in France. She then meets up with Sir Shaw McCarthy, who heads the entire organization.


Takuma: "Old man Shaw?"


Julie: "I would be so bold to ask the reinstatement of the Vision GT Project, isn't it?"

Shaw: "Now why would you just barge in without an appointment, missus?"

Julie: "Oh this would be brief."

She then lays a briefcase, then opens it. It contains bundles of one thousand dollar bills. Then she places another one, and opens it showing the same contents.



Julie: "Would this be enough, sir? I see so much promise in that team."

Shaw: "You must be very aware, woman... on how such rubbish took lives."

Julie: "Once I have that so-called "rubbish", I will make it a legitimate organization. I have so much respect for this organization too. Now, won't you be generous to bring it back?"

Shaw: "Enough! The moment you placed those briefcases in front of me, I could only think of nothing but disgust. You don't even need to resort to such low tactic, woman!

If you are that desperate, you could have asked much more nicely! I'm not taken by some form of cold hard cash! Prove it to me, then. Then we'll do the "transaction" afterwards."

Julie: "I didn't know you are so easy to convince. Well, I guess these aren't necessary. All right, I'll prove it to you. I've turned rubbish into gems. So this won't be much of a chore for me.

Thank you for your time."


The clip ends from there. Hiroyuki clenches his fists while his arms are still crossed.


Hiroyuki: "Such dishonor. Unacceptable. That's all I can say."


Takuma: "To think she attempted a bribe. I don't think Old man Shaw would accept it, yet why did he bring back the project?"


Rob: "Turns out, that Sir Shaw is going to meet her again in France next week. I have a plan in mind already. I'll take care of this so-called "transaction". You guys keep on driving."


Takuma: "Just like that?"


Rob: "She played dirty. THEN WE'LL PLAY DIRTY."


Meanwhile, Andy hears his phone ringing from his pocket. He stands up and leaves the room to excuse himself.


Andy: "Excuse me."



As he closes the door, he then answers the phone. It's Melissa on the other line.


Melissa: "Andy..."

Delighted to hear his ex-girlfriend-turned-close friend's voice once again, Andy smiles just to brush off the tension earlier.


Andy: "Hey Melissa! How you're doing?"



Melissa:
"Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this, Andy... but... you have to know."


Having heard her gloomy tone, Andy's mood immediately shifts to worry.


Andy: "What's wrong?"


Melissa: "A week ago... your Viper...

...was stolen."


Andy's eyes widened in shock. His beloved daily driver had disappeared.


Andy: "WHAT?! AND WHY DID YOU TELL ME JUST NOW?!"


Melissa: "We did everything we could to track it down all by ourselves, but..."



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Andy: "I'll be heading there. I'll take care of this!"


Melissa: "No need. As the thief left a letter, saying that it's heading there in Germany. But what astounds me is that why would a thief tell where he hid his loot."


Andy: "It could be a trap, but I don't care. If it's here, then I can find it easier. American cars are becoming a more common sight here."


Melissa: "Alright then... just be careful, okay?"


Andy: "Thanks for letting me know. And if there's help, I would use it. Don't worry about me."


Melissa: "Okay then... I'll call you again."


Andy: "Okay... bye."


As Andy ends the call, the rest of the members are seen getting out of the room.


Hiroyuki: "You look tense, Andy. Something wrong?"


Andy: "Someone stole my Viper. And you know the best part? The thief revealed where he took it away. Exactly here in Germany."


With all the revelations thrown out, all Hiroyuki could do is breathe out a heavy sigh.


Hiroyuki: "To be honest, I don't know how to end this day."



***************************************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Nurburgring Nordschleife
Time: 7:30 pm



The sun is about to leave, a sign that a shift shall happen from day to night.


Even with such transition, however, one car roars through the hills of Eifel.





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A heavily modified Ford Mustang... presumably for FIA GR. 3 regulations, judging by the copious amounts of aerodynamic devices that adorn the car's body.



Donning a black race suit with the flag of USA stitched on the chest part, driving the racing machine is none other than...



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Russell: "Such a lovely sunset. What a great way to end the day. I've done so much to deserve such reward."




The Mustang pounds through the continuous corners of the Green Hell.





End of Page 15






















 
Page 16 - Takuma's New Challenge



Location: Dream Alliance HQ, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 7:00 am, the next day



As if nothing happened last night, Hiroyuki awakens with a fresh look on his face. He is seen talking to someone on a phone, with Nigel escorting him.


Hiroyuki: "I'll personally inspect. I'm about to head outside."

He then turns to Nigel, to give an instruction.


Hiroyuki: "Nigel, please summon Takuma. It's important for him to see this."


Then he returns to the phone conversation as Nigel proceeds to heed the request.


Hiroyuki: "We're doing fine. Thank you for the concern. I have already found out the root of the problem and we're working on it. See ya then."


He then puts his phone on the pocket. As he heads out, he then sees the crew unloading a modified car.


Takuma and Nigel didn't take long to join Hiroyuki outside. The racing chief then presents Takuma with that certain car...



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A modified BMW M4 tailored for a different class. The car emits a radiant glow as the morning sun reflects the paint.


Hiroyuki: "A few days ago, I have confirmed our participation on the Nurburgring 4 hours Endurance. You know what that is, right?"


Takuma: "Yes, basically the only way to qualify for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring... if we finish within the ranks, that is. So, we're driving that?"


Hiroyuki: "Takuma, I have a new challenge for you. This car. We're slotting in the Gr.4 class. And to top things off, this makes less power than the road car."


Takuma: "Huh?! But why are we joining in a lower class? Aren't we used to join the top class? The Gr.3?"


Hiroyuki: "That's why I'm calling this a challenge for you."


Takuma: "Making less power than the road car... yet has aerodynamic bits and even stripped out. This could be too easy."


Hiroyuki giggles for a bit after hearing Takuma's boisterous statement.


Hiroyuki: "If you think like that, then you're sorely mistaken. You're used to wrestle with high-powered racing cars, even Group C machines. There is a reason why Gr.4 class has seen a sudden surge in popularity. It even makes the bulk of the grid in that endurance race."


Takuma scratches his head, still unable to comprehend.


Takuma: "I still don't get it, though. I sure hope it has nothing to do with our problem right now."


Hiroyuki: "It's completely unrelated, I can assure you that. But once you take the helm of this car, you would immediately find out my logic. You will be surprised."


************************************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Nurburgring Nordschleife
Time: 12 pm



At noontime, not far away from the Dream Alliance HQ...



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A bright yellow Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport makes the rounds at the Green Hell. The familiar color scheme obviously belongs to Team Blitzgelb. Rebecca is piloting the modified sports car as Kiehl is at the pit lane enjoying his lunch, as Rebecca did so an hour ago.


Kiehl: "So we're in a long break from Gr.3 racing. And now we have 24 Hours of Nurburgring to take care of. Man, time flies so fast."


Albert: "Oh yes indeed. But don't worry though, the RSR will be overhauled and as well as further modified for next round. Your recent exploits forced the FIA to rethink the Balance of Performance rules, you know?"



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Kiehl: "It doesn't matter with me, though."


Having heard Kiehl said that in a rather gloomy tone, Albert got concerned.


Albert: "You sound down. Something wrong?"


Kiehl: "Ah. Nothing. Maybe it's just another one of those daydreaming episodes..."


Albert: "You've been like that lately. I hope it doesn't affect your racing."



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Kiehl: "Sorry, lots of things are running in my mind. They're personal..."


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Albert: "You should sort them out. Well, the Nurburgring 4 Hour Endurance is quite far off, though."



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Kiehl: "I want Dream Alliance to be there. Even if they are to compete in a higher class. I want more inspiration..."




************************************************************************************************************************************************************



Location: Dream Alliance HQ
Time: 2 pm



It's a busy afternoon in the headquarters. Takuma sits down inside the BMW M4 Gr.4 to get a feel of the car, and then Andy - despite feeling down after his Viper got stolen - checks the car's engine and then moving on to the brakes and tires. He has to do his job after all...



Hiroyuki meanwhile, takes a look at the settings sheet for the car. He browses through the pages and simply nods in satisfaction.


Hiroyuki: "This is adequate. More than adequate, to be precise. There's a few weeks left before the 4 hour endurance takes place. Takuma needs to be prepared."


Amidst the activity, Nigel interrupts Hiroyuki.


Nigel: "I just received a phone call... from none other than Ms. Julie Meade. She plans to pay us a visit at 5 pm."


Having heard that, Hiroyuki clenches his right fist holding the setting sheet, with the papers slightly crumpled.


Hiroyuki: "All right. Send her in. I want to personally deal with that witch."


Nigel: "But... please restrain yourself."


Hiroyuki: "Let's just hope I can..."








End of Page 16


WRITER'S NOTES:


- Another Hiroyuki rage is imminent. Take cover.

- This arc is nearing its end. I have already made a draft for next arc.





















 
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