Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Initial D Fan Fiction ❯ Initial D: Anything Goes Drift Racing ❯ Ryoga vs Ranma; Part 2 ( Chapter 8 )

Initial D: Mt Furinken. Anything Goes Drift Racing.

Chapter 8: Ryoga vs Ranma; Part 2.

The air is tense and everyone instinctively knows there is more to this battle than a simple grudge, it's war. The starter stands between the S15 and Chaser his arms raised the tension mounting as he counts down "5,4,3,2,1" and "Go" and he drops his arms, the race begins.

Ryoga's Toyota Chaser bursts forward at incredible speed far beyond the capability of the S15 or any other car on the mountain and in a few short seconds there is already a gap growing between the two cars.

But the two cars are now approaching the first corner and it is clear that Ryoga is moving far to fast to drift and is still not stopping, as Ranma prepares to slide the S15 he watches helplessly as Ryoga continues his suicidal charge then to his horror the unthinkable happens, defying the laws of physics the tyres seem to grip impossibly to the road as the car breaks to cornering speed in just a couple of feet and turns, it doesn't even drift but as it reaches the Apex the cars extreme acceleration kicks in again and it is rocketing away again enlarging its lead over the S15 as Ranma drifts his car smoothly round the bend and gives chase.

At the start line there is a sea of frozen faces all shocked at the strange sight they have witnessed and then an explosion of excited voices expressing their disbelief, among them Edy, Sakura and Neji are silent still.

"What just happened?" Sakura manages eventually. "A car just can't brake like that from such a speed even ultra hard braking would just lock the wheels up." She continued doubtfully. Edy shakes his head.

"But it did happen and Ranma is going to loose this race." Neji sighs, Sakura's disbelief turns to outright disbelief.

"What do you mean Neji? How do you know from one corner?" Edy looked grimly at Sakura.

"Ranma's opponent has an Ultimate technique. The drag race style set up makes sense now, with his ability to brake so drastically he doesn't need to drift just take the corners naturally and use his incredible acceleration coming. It is the most extreme form of grip driving I have ever seen but it is not unbeatable." Sakura and Neji look confused at Edy.

"But Ranma was so far behind after just one corner?" Edy laughs slightly at this.

"The technique has two major floors, one all the acceleration comes from a close gearing system which means top speed is sacrificed so Ranma's overall top speed is higher and since his skill lets him maintain most of that speed constantly he will be able to keep up with the Ryoga guy. The second problem comes with hand in hand with its greatest advantage, the cornering. When taking consecutive corners with very little or no straight the even that car has no time to gain much acceleration before braking and since the power band is so narrow any acceleration at the wrong moment of cornering will result in a spin out, which gives Ranma two opportunities on this course." Edy is interrupted by Sakura going into hyperactive mode.

"The multiple hairpins just before the tunnel and the finish. Ranma will be able to go through fast but Ryoga will have to go through really slowly."

"Exactly, Ranma should even gain a sizable lead if he plays his cards right." Edy checks his watch, they should be approaching the hairpins before the tunnel soon and if his theory is correct it will be crucial Ranma takes the lead there since there are several long straights before the second series of hairpins where undoubtedly the Chaser would take the lead again. He pulls a two way radio from his pocket and tunes into the normal frequency. The others listen with bated breath.

"This is the first of the three hairpins the Chaser has just performed its incredible brake, it's amazing to see, the S15 is just approaching the hairpin."

"The S15 has caught the Chaser at the entrance to the second hairpin, it's trying for the outside, the Chaser can't change its line to block."

"The S15 is now in the lead, what an incredible drift. It's putting some distance over the Chaser which is just taking the third hairpin." Edy listens to the timekeepers unaware how tense he has become, the plastic radio creaking in his hand for now is the critical moment when Ranma must not falter he needs to hold the lead as long as possible or he will not catch up again. The radio crackles to life again.

"The S15 has entered the tunnel straight and the Chaser is right behind closing fast, what acceleration but he's still not close enough to pass, they're approaching the exit corner, the Chaser is still accelerating it's pulling level to the S15. The S15 is staring its entrance. Wait! The Chasers lost it, it's going to fast its braking isn't enough it's going to hit the barrier."

In horror Akane watches the black and white car hurtling towards her completely out of control and she can not move like a rabbit caught in headlights her legs won't respond and the Toyota Chaser is only feet from striking her head on. The world is in slow motion and she realises death has come for her but something else happens a bright green object enters her vision striking the other car side on and another colour, a red mist seems to envelop the S15 and Akane recognises Ranma's battle aura projected with the force of the car forcing the object of her death to one side yet still it is not quite enough and she is clipped by the flailing bumper as the now disintegrating car barrels through the crash rail and into the tree's. Akane is sent flying but her world has already gone black and she does not know how badly she lands across the crumpled bonnet of the S15 which too has spun off the road and come to a halt a short distance from the road.

And already Ranma is out of the car and standing beside Akane's limp body afraid to move her but unable to stop his hands from reaching for her face as the hot tears stream down his own as a crowd begins to gather and behind him Ranma is vaguely aware of a figure approaching, he turns to face Ryoga his face a dirty mask of hate, despair and uncontrollable rage the night air light by the enormous steam of visible battle aura poring form his body the ground even seems to shake the surrounding parked cars rocking on their suspension the grass splayed out around Ranma's feet and his voice is coarse and raspy.

"YOU! You fucking idiot. You can't even control a car and you had to come here and challenge me." Ryoga is silent quaking before a Ranma he has never seen before, dark and murderous, he raises his hands in protest.

"I didn't…" But Ranma doesn't let him finish.

"Go, now, leave. Leave and never come back or I will kill you." Ranma is spitting the words out his fists body is already to strike. "And know this if she does not recover I will hunt you down and return ten fold the injuries." Ryoga is proud but he knows in a straight fight he can not defeat Ranma let alone his current condition but still he try's to speak again.

"No please I can't, I lo…" Ranma screams at him.

"SHUT UP! Do you think she will EVER feel anything for you now. GET OUT OF HERE." Ryoga feels the force of Ranma's words strike against his body as physical blows and his heart brakes for by his own hand he has destroyed his dreams. He turns and runs, jumps, scrambles and runs again on and on, where to he doesn't care just as long as it's away from everyone else.

And Ranma is at Akane's side again the tears a river now his own heart fracturing, and Sakura is there trying to comfort him as the sound of sirens grows but he knows of nothing now save for the small limp figure in front of his rippled vision and his mind is pulsing with the self blame like the thunder of the storm of sorrow that racks his body. He feels this is his punishment for choosing to do something for himself and it's almost unbearable, suddenly he feels so incredibly tired his eyelids so heave and with Akane's hand clutched in his feels his own conscious slip away.