Kaga was still running in the lead.
If this had been before, he would've been absolutely confident—
Just keep this pace, and the championship would eventually be his.
But ever since he encountered Leon, he had to stay fully alert.
He no longer had absolute confidence in this victory.
Leon… was a true rival.
And sure enough—
Leon had caught up!
Kaga heard the engine behind him and didn't even need to look.
He knew exactly who it was.
His expression darkened instantly.
One lap was about to finish.
The pit lane was coming up ahead, but since this race didn't require tire changes every lap, the usual schedule was every ten laps or so.
Four changes across forty laps.
Both racers shot past the pit lane at terrifying speed.
The wind pressure was enough to blow caps right off the spectators' heads.
The roar of the machines felt like they might lift off the ground at any moment.
The violent G-forces crushed down on their bodies.
Kaga gritted his teeth, bloodshot eyes narrowed,
But he still stepped harder on the accelerator—
He couldn't slow down.
Not with Leon right behind him.
"Heh… my turn."
Leon smiled faintly.
Another corner approached.
This was his chance.
"Thrusters, activate." Leon instructed Momo.
The turbines at the rear of the Tyrant spun like mad.
Power poured out endlessly.
Leon's speed climbed—
Then climbed again.
Even now, he was still accelerating?!
The crowd exploded into cheers at Leon's insane charge.
This wasn't just an engine roaring—
It was passion itself erupting.
"Go! Show us a miracle in the corner!"
"Who said you can't accelerate in a turn? Slap those doubters' faces!"
"Go, Leon!"
"Pass him! I've hated that guy forever!"
The louder Leon accelerated, the wilder the audience became.
Supporters cheered, haters cursed.
"Try overtaking him and see what happens—you're not beating our Eastern drivers!"
"Trash! You'll crash at that speed!"
"Who the hell accelerates in a turn?! Idiot!"
"What 'God of Racing'? No technique at all!"
They were furious—
Not because Leon was bad,
But because they couldn't stand the idea of Kaga being overtaken and losing face.
Entering the corner—
Kaga could only downshift and slow the car, fighting his way through the curve.
Phantom Drift consumed massive stamina.
Using it too many times in succession caused dizziness, blurred vision, and loss of focus.
He had to ration how often he used it.
"He absolutely can't pass me in this turn!" Kaga snarled.
But reality slapped him hard—
And fast.
Suddenly, both his side mirrors reflected the shadow of the Tyrant.
Black and blue livery.
A death-god-like presence.
Cold. Merciless.
"W-What…?!"
Kaga's eyes widened, horror filling his face.
Swoosh!
Leon shot up beside him.
The Tyrant swept past like a blur—
A dreamlike flash of speed.
At extreme velocity, he dominated the corner effortlessly.
"Phantom Drift?!"
Kaga nearly screamed.
He was trembling, face pale, hands cold.
This move was his ultimate technique—
Even Hayato couldn't master it.
Leon had watched it once.
Once.
And… he learned it?
Not just learned it—
He had mastered its essence.
His cornering was even smoother than Kaga's.
Kaga's entire body went cold.
His speed faltered.
Almost unconsciously, he slowed down—
Allowing Hayato and Shinjou to overtake him one after another.
Leon's performance struck him too deeply.
"Has he awakened the Zero Realm too…?"
Cold sweat dripped down Kaga's forehead.
He had always thought Leon was just an ordinary racer.
Even if he was a so-called racing god, without a Domain, he should still be inferior to them.
Who would've thought—
This American driver… had awakened a Domain.
It wasn't just theirs anymore.
The audience lost their composure.
Seeing Leon drift in such a familiar technique—
They jumped to their feet instantly.
"When did he learn that?!"
"Did he understand it in one look?!"
"Is he seriously that smart?!"
"A genuine prodigy?!"
Cheers turned into shocked disbelief.
Leon's learning ability terrified them.
This was hardcore driving skill.
Leon glanced briefly into the mirror.
Kaga's Phoenix was now in fourth place.
Hayato was behind Leon, waiting for a good moment.
It seemed Kaga had been so shocked he forgot to accelerate…
"Frog in a well."
Leon snorted, turning his attention back to the track.
He had no "Domain."
It was simply the Racing God's halo making him perfectly attuned to his machine.
When Kaga executed the move earlier, Leon understood its principles instantly.
So naturally, his overtake used the same technique.
To others, it was incredibly difficult.
To him—
It was a simple trick.
Vroom—!!
The Tyrant roared forward, widening the lead.
Hayato stayed close behind, waiting for his moment.
Another corner.
"Inertia Drift!"
Asurada decelerated into the curve, using momentum to redirect the nose inward.
Invisible wind pressure swirled violently.
The tires screeched sharply—
A sound painful to the ears.
It felt like the car would fly off the track.
Then Asurada twisted again, forcing the angle—
And blasted out of the corner at insane speed.
So fast the eye couldn't follow.
He flashed past the Tyrant.
"Double Inertia Drift—complete."
Hayato's cold gaze locked forward.
Inertia Drift used the car's own momentum to change direction without changing forward force—
And then accelerate out.
Hayato developed it in order to defeat the supersonic Knight Schumacher, discarding AI assistance to master it.
Kaga later learned it,
And eventually more racers too.
But tire wear was enormous.
Even on the hardest B-compound, continuous use risked blowouts.
It was better suited for rainy conditions than dry ones.
Hayato had overtaken Leon—
But he'd need to pit soon to change tires.
"…Heh. So you have a lot of tricks too."
Leon laughed coldly.
"Tyrant, ready for Aerial Drift Mode."
He was about to pull something big.
~~----------------------
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