Imperial Scale's acceleration was 75.1, while Gray Castle's was 80.
Logically, it should have been very difficult for Imperial Scale to catch up. But that was only in relative terms.
As Imperial Scale gradually left the ordinary Mecha Girls behind, Derek Su used superior cornering to steadily close the gap.
On the screen above Imperial Scale's hips, Gray Castle's 3D projection finally appeared.
The thorn halo tightened like a closing web, and the blood-red sword hung overhead like a guillotine.
Derek Su wasn't surprised anymore.
He glanced at Imperial Scale's stats, and sure enough, they had changed.
Acceleration: 77.6 (75.1 + 2.5)
That reduced the gap between Imperial Scale and Gray Castle to just 2.4.
For him, that difference was negligible. Just two or three corners would be enough.
What he was wondering now was whether Imperial Scale would ram Gray Castle the moment she caught up, just like before.
Honestly, the way she had just been "hunting" other Mecha Girls had genuinely startled him.
Even so, Imperial Scale was still his well-behaved Mecha Girl.
After all, she had been venting on Stella's behalf.
The fact that the Mecha Girls in the Stella Club could get along so well was partly because of Imperial Scale's awkward yet oddly endearing personality.
...
"Master, how long do you estimate before we catch up to Gray Castle?"
While Derek Su was staring at the stats panel, lost in thought, her calm voice came from ahead.
He looked up at Imperial Scale, who had slightly tilted her head, then glanced toward Gray Castle in the distance.
After a quick calculation, about three corners.
"Around two minutes," he answered conservatively.
"Then, Master, please do your best to get me close to her," Imperial Scale said softly.
Derek Su nodded.
From her tone, she clearly intended more than just overtaking.
She wanted a direct confrontation.
In that case.
His gaze sharpened at the approaching turn, and he didn't slow down at all.
Imperial Scale's cornering and drifting stats were solid.
He pulled the handbrake.
No flashy techniques, just the simplest drift executed perfectly. Perfect entry, perfect braking point, perfect exit.
Screech!
The tires dragged a pale trail of smoke across the gravel.
Imperial Scale's rear slammed hard into the rock wall.
Boom!
The rock shattered instantly.
If he had been driving Tunbao, Purple Lightning, or even Stella, he would never take a corner this violently.
But with Imperial Scale, it felt right.
A kind of instinct, a trust in her performance.
And somehow, it felt like she wanted this.
Like she enjoyed it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At every turn, Imperial Scale smashed through the surrounding rock walls like a rampaging beast.
Widening the track.
Leaving behind marks that belonged only to her.
He had worried she might be in pain, but when he glanced at the rearview mirror, he saw her flushed face.
Her eyes were burning with excitement.
...Yeah, that concern was unnecessary.
"Master, again!"
"This kind of force..."
"I love it!"
Derek Su fell silent.
Right... that sounded a bit questionable.
...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Up ahead, Gray Castle and Richard Cheng both froze.
"What the hell is that noise?!"
They instinctively checked the rearview mirror.
The turn was hidden behind rock, so they couldn't see what was happening.
Only the dust rising behind Imperial Scale, spreading like dusk across the track.
Then came another explosion.
Both of them flinched.
"What are Imperial Scale and The Magician doing?" Gray Castle frowned.
She had never seen a race with this much noise.
Curiosity got the better of her, and her attention shifted fully to the rearview mirror.
Then—
Boom!
The rock at the turn exploded outward.
The ground shook, debris flew into the air, and waves of dust spread outward.
Sand and shattered rock formed a dense haze.
Before they could react—
A black off-road vehicle burst through the dust, roaring forward.
Sunlight glinted off its dark body like a massive steel hammer, sharp and cold.
"It's Imperial Scale!" Richard Cheng gasped, his face pale.
"Did she just smash through the turn?! Won't that get penalized?!"
"Breaking through the turn isn't penalized," Gray Castle said, though her eyes were filled with shock. "It shows Impact Resistance and Stability. That's exactly what this race tests."
Even she could do it.
But it would hurt.
And smashing through a turn would cost acceleration.
It might feel satisfying, but it wasn't efficient.
And yet...
The distance between them was shrinking.
She clenched her teeth.
Whether she liked it or not, Imperial Scale was putting real pressure on her.
"Master, activate the skill. This distance is perfect."
Gray Castle's expression turned serious.
She hadn't forgotten her goal.
To crush Imperial Scale and defend the honor of the HB models.
Not just to win, but to win decisively.
Richard Cheng felt the pressure too and didn't hesitate.
[Force Field Dominance] activated.
An almost invisible halo spread outward, enveloping Imperial Scale.
The moment the field took effect—
Derek Su felt the familiar crushing weight.
But it vanished in less than a second.
"Imperial Scale?" he said, startled.
"It's just a force field," she replied calmly. "Easily neutralized."
Derek Su froze for a moment.
That overwhelming sense of security.
Purple Lightning and Stella had to focus all their defenses on protecting the cockpit.
But Imperial Scale didn't seem to do anything.
And yet the protection was absolute.
As she entered Gray Castle's field, Derek Su noticed something else.
Imperial Scale's stats panel blurred.
Then the numbers shattered and reformed into a blood-red scale.
On one side was Imperial Scale's Impact Resistance and Stability.
On the other was Gray Castle's.
198.2 versus 186.
The scale tipped instantly in Imperial Scale's favor.
Then it disappeared.
Scarlet text formed, outlined in thorn-like patterns.
Judgment Successful!
A rose-like pattern spread across Imperial Scale's black chassis, blooming briefly before fading.
At the same time...
The gravity field and repulsive force from Gray Castle vanished completely.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (40 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.