The surveillance footage froze at the exact moment Derek Su and Chloe Qin clashed.
Imperial Scale's blood-red taillights glowed through the sandstorm like the eyes of a savage beast.
The instant her massive body slammed into Blazing Wind, the contrast was brutally clear.
Next to the enormous Imperial Scale, Blazing Wind looked like nothing more than a toy car.
Aiyo was even more fired up at the sight.
Gripping the microphone, he roared, "Viewers! What could possibly be more thrilling than a showdown beside a tornado? We're doing everything we can to restore surveillance near the tornado! Without a doubt, both Chloe Qin and Derek Su are outstanding, courageous drivers! They've made a choice that 99.9% of drivers wouldn't dare make! That's right! They're not just challenging the tornado—they're fighting inside it!!"
The assistants beside Aiyo had gone pale.
Things were already this serious, and he was still delivering high-octane commentary?
Chloe Qin was the fiancée of Giant Tech's CEO!
If anything happened—
Aiyo might end up dragged off in broad daylight and dumped into a river.
...
Inside the pit station office, Howard Wang was pacing furiously, his eyes red with anxiety.
"Notify the rescue team to prepare immediately! Send the medical team too!"
After hanging up, his face was ashen.
Wang Hao hadn't expected Derek Su to retaliate in this way.
Nor had he anticipated a tornado appearing out of nowhere today.
Regret began to creep in.
If he had known Derek Su would react so fiercely and settle scores without mercy, he would have prepared more thoroughly. At the very least, he should never have allowed his fiancée to shoulder the risk.
Now things had spiraled.
All of Derek Su's fury was being directed at Chloe Qin.
And he was powerless to intervene.
He wasn't a superhero. Charging into a tornado would be suicide.
"All we can do is hope the rescue and medical teams are up to the task."
Howard Wang stared at the darkening sky outside and muttered to himself.
...
"It's over! Derek Su went straight into the tornado!" Zane and Lingwind stared in shock before panic took over. "That's a tornado! How can he just rush into it like that?!"
"Master, don't panic. Boss wouldn't act without confidence." Lingwind's voice was gentle. "And you know Imperial Scale. Her abilities are extraordinary."
"Exactly, Zane. Let's wait." Xavier stood with his arms crossed, brows tightly knit. He was worried too, but not as pessimistic. "We have to trust Derek. If he's doing this, he must have his reasons."
Lumina watched the apocalyptic scene on the screen in silence.
Derek Su's move was satisfying—but Little Stella was going to be heartbroken.
Prison—
Several new inmates lay bruised and battered in a corner.
A remote control snapped clean in half was stuffed into one of their mouths.
Liang sat in front of the new television, eyes wide, sweat pouring down his face. He bit his lip and clenched his fists. "That brat better not let anything happen to him!"
After entering prison, his illness had been cured with the help of an old friend. He now exercised daily, ate well, and was stronger than before.
The only downside was the lack of freedom. He could only pass the time watching television.
He only watched Derek Su and Stella's races.
When they weren't competing, he discussed life and ideals with fellow inmates.
In a room somewhere in the underground black market—
Purple Lightning was curled up in a blanket, biting her finger, staring at the television just as nervously.
Watching Derek Su race made her more anxious than racing herself. She wished she could swap places with Imperial Scale and charge into the tornado instead.
Though she would probably fall apart the moment she touched its edge.
Relay Point 3—
Unable to see Derek Su and Imperial Scale's situation, Stella was pacing anxiously in circles.
She wanted to deploy and rush toward the tornado, but Tunbao and Eternity held her back.
She could have shaken off Tunbao alone.
But Eternity was stronger. With one of them holding each of her arms, Stella couldn't move at all.
"Please… let me go take a look! Just one look! Just one!"
Her eyes were red, tears trembling at the corners.
"Stella, listen to me. Any of us who go near that tornado will get swept away. But Imperial Scale won't. She was born to challenge extreme environments." Tunbao sighed helplessly. "Besides, even if you went, you couldn't do anything. If you got carried off, the boss would settle the score with me."
"But… but…"
She knew Tunbao was right.
But that didn't ease the anxiety gnawing at her heart.
After all, Derek Su was far more to her than just a driver.
"No 'buts.'" Tunbao placed the Pineapple helmet onto Stella's head, pressing lightly against her forehead as she soothed her patiently. "Just wait. I guarantee both the boss and Imperial Scale will reach the finish safely. Even if you don't trust Imperial Scale, trust the boss. It may be his first time driving me, but he gives off the kind of calm, steady vibe of someone who never acts without certainty."
"Let's wait at the finish line," Lucy Luo suggested. "Waiting there might help Stella feel a little better. The moment Derek Su and Imperial Scale arrive, we'll see them."
Everyone nodded.
Stella didn't want to cause trouble for anyone.
She forced herself to swallow her worry and silently prayed for Derek Su and Imperial Scale.
...
Meanwhile, on the track—
Vroooom—!!
Imperial Scale's engine howled against the raging wind. Bracing against the gale, she pushed Blazing Wind—and Chloe Qin—straight toward the tornado. The closer they drew, the more the pressure crushed Blazing Wind. She was nearly immobilized by the storm itself. Breaking free from Imperial Scale was impossible. She could only be forced closer and closer to the vortex.
From the very first impact, it had felt like slamming into a solid wall.
The collision left her dizzy and wracked with pain.
Fortunately, Imperial Scale didn't strike again—she simply kept pushing forward.
If she had rammed her once more, it would have been the end.
But even if she escaped Imperial Scale's punishment, she couldn't escape Chloe Qin's torment.
The nearer they came to the tornado, the more terrifying it became. The massive funnel connected the dark sky to roiling thunderclouds, radiating the overwhelming might of nature itself. Facing such a disaster required absolute courage.
And Chloe Qin didn't have it.
Inside the cockpit, she kicked and punched wildly.
A Mecha Girl's exterior was built like a fortress, but the interior was her most sensitive and fragile area.
They placed their most vulnerable parts inside to protect the driver with an unbreakable shell.
Chloe Qin's outburst was agony for Blazing Wind.
"Get away! Get away!"
"Blazing Wind, you useless piece of trash! Get me out of this tornado!"
Blazing Wind was in too much pain to respond. She forced herself to stay conscious, refusing to disengage her deployed form.
That decision wasn't just to protect Chloe Qin—it was to protect herself.
At the tornado's peak intensity, if she disengaged her deployed form, both she and Chloe Qin would be swept into the sky.
And when they came crashing down, even a Mecha Girl's resilience wouldn't save them.
Closer—
The roar of the wind shook the earth like endless thunder exploding beside their ears.
Sand and stones battered Blazing Wind and Imperial Scale like bullets, crackling violently against their frames.
For any Mecha Girl, it was another form of injury.
But Imperial Scale didn't even frown.
She gazed into the pitch-black chaos ahead, listening to the howl of the wind and the relentless shattering of sand and rock.
At last, Chloe Qin fell silent.
Curled up in the driver's seat, face pale, body trembling.
A sharp, sour smell spread through the cockpit.
She had wet herself.
Blazing Wind had no attention to spare for that.
Imperial Scale continued pushing forward. She and the tornado rushed toward each other from opposite directions, until both entered the tornado's wind barrier.
At that instant, wind speed peaked.
Blazing Wind lasted only seconds before being seized by the gale, rolling across the ground and vanishing into the sandstorm.
Imperial Scale watched coldly.
Her black, icy frame stood as steady as a mountain, unmoved in the violent tornado.
"Sorry."
She spoke the words flatly, as if in farewell.
"It's a shame about Blazing Wind. She's innocent," Derek Su sighed.
Blazing Wind hadn't done anything wrong. She had simply followed the wrong master.
Being swept away like that meant serious injuries at the very least. Chloe Qin would surely break a few bones.
"Master, there's no need to blame yourself. She won't die."
Imperial Scale tilted her head toward him.
Rose-colored eyes gleamed coldly in the dim cabin light.
"If you wish, I can finish it."
"Would you get hurt?"
"Possibly."
"Then forget it. Let's go."
Derek pressed the accelerator and turned the control lever, steering away.
In both his past life and this one, it was his first time driving inside a tornado.
And Imperial Scale's performance could be summed up in eight words—
Solid as a fortress, steady as flat ground.
Hearing his answer, Imperial Scale turned her gaze back to the road.
The faintest smile curved at her lips.
"Understood, Master."
...
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