On the track, Derek Su and Stella also noticed the Mecha Girls closing in from all sides.
A group of combat-type Mecha Girls pressing in like that clearly meant trouble.
"Master!" Stella glanced around, her expression tightening.
She was trying to accelerate and catch up, but with so many Mecha Girls closing in, her overtaking space was being squeezed shut.
"Taking us for easy targets? Good. Let's see if you can actually pull it off." Derek Su let out a cold laugh.
His gaze sharpened as he looked at the two combat-type Mecha Girls closing in from either side.
He quickly scanned their stats. The one on the left looked like an SUV, with 83 Impact Resistance. The one on the right was a truck, with 92.
The truck was slower, but even Stella's 90 Impact Resistance wouldn't hold up against it.
In an instant, a plan formed.
He yanked the steering wheel left and slammed the accelerator.
Screech!
Stella instantly lost traction on the sand.
Her rear swung wide toward the truck, while the front pivoted sharply and drove straight into the SUV's weakest point, its side.
The sudden move caught both Mecha Girls off guard.
The arc Derek Su controlled was so precise that when the truck tried to close in, the difference in speed left it just short of even scraping the paint.
The SUV's driver, however, flew into a rage.
"She's coming at me on purpose? Looking to die?!"
He never expected a speed-type Mecha Girl to attack first.
On what basis?
Because she's stubborn?
Then—
Bang!
It felt like a hammer slammed into his skull.
He heard his own Mecha Girl cry out.
Then everything spun. His vision blurred, and his head smashed against the controls.
By the time he came back to his senses, he and his Mecha Girl had already crashed through the barrier and were sliding who knew where.
"How is that possible?!"
He stared at Stella's taillights as she sped away, stunned.
A speed-type Mecha Girl not only wasn't afraid of collisions
she had actually knocked him out of the race?
Was this really a speed-type at all?
Or just a combat-type disguised as one?
There's no way any sane driver would sacrifice speed to boost Impact Resistance and Stability like that.
It made no sense.
But the race didn't stop for his disbelief.
After taking out the SUV, Stella barely lost any speed and quickly left the truck behind.
Normally, collisions would cost a huge amount of speed.
But Stella's speed barely dropped.
Derek Su frowned.
Was this some kind of hidden trait?
Ahead, more combat-type Mecha Girls were closing in.
Stella's expression hardened, her gaze steady.
"Master, you remember how I passed my debut, right? I just smashed my way from start to finish."
"Yeah, I remember. So...?"
"Look at the track now. Doesn't it feel the same?"
Derek Su couldn't see it.
The first stage of Brana Ruins had almost no turns. Just barriers.
It was designed for direct confrontation. Either you flip or get knocked out.
"Master." Stella smiled slightly. "If we treat these Mecha Girls like barriers, and the gaps between them like corners... isn't it just like before?"
Derek Su froze.
She couldn't be thinking—
"Master, have you ever seen a brand new racing style?" Stella's eyes sharpened. "I call it the Pineapple Style. Like a rolling pineapple, bouncing between walls. The shell hurts the walls, and every collision gives me momentum."
She fixed her gaze ahead.
"I'll treat them like walls and break through."
"But you'll get hurt." Derek Su finally understood.
This was basically using repeated impacts to adjust movement.
But unlike others, Stella barely lost speed from collisions.
Maybe it could work.
"Hurt?" Stella tilted her head and gave a confident smile. "Just a little wear and tear."
Derek Su fell silent.
She'd definitely been reading too many novels lately.
Still, unnecessary collisions should be avoided.
If they had to collide, then use technique to reduce the impact.
Letting her try this wasn't about being careless.
And it wasn't because he was okay with her getting hurt.
He understood her.
If she chose to enter a combat race, then she was ready to fight.
What she wanted wasn't protection.
She wanted to fight alongside him.
Like every other Mecha Girl in this world, she wasn't something to be sheltered.
With that in mind, all he had to do was support her.
Derek Su took a deep breath.
"Alright. If that's your decision, then I'm going all in."
He slammed the accelerator.
Roar!
The engine howled.
Stella surged forward, abandoning her previous cautious, technical style.
She stopped avoiding.
Stopped calculating.
Even on sand, where speed-types were disadvantaged, she was still faster than 99.9% of the combat-types.
From the stands, the scene was clear.
Ahead, the combat-type Mecha Girls were closing ranks.
Like a tidal wave swallowing a lone boat.
And Stella—
was like a knight charging at the front of a battlefield.
She knew what lay ahead.
An unbreakable formation.
Spears. Blades. Death.
And still, she charged forward without hesitation.
...
"What is she doing?!" Tunbao shot up from her seat, tense.
"There are two semi-trailers ahead. The gap between them is tiny!" Absolute Shadow frowned.
This wasn't something Derek Su would normally call.
Lingwind and Blazing Wind covered their eyes.
Purple Lightning clenched her fists, holding her breath.
...
Off the track, Imperial Scale watched quietly.
The wind lifted her bangs, revealing her cold crimson eyes.
Her lips moved slightly.
"Like a warhorse in formation... like a swordsman drawing his blade."
Derek Su had told them stories like this before.
A swordsman, even knowing death was certain, would still draw their sword.
Even in defeat, there was honor.
That resolve.
That courage.
No one could stop Stella now.