Champion!
That was the single, solitary thought screaming in Hubert's brain. He watched, absolutely mesmerized, as that flash of scarlet sliced across the finish line. Immediately following that... a profound, heavy silence. The entire golden terrace and the massive main grandstands were temporarily plunged into absolute, stunned silence. The visceral roar of the engines continued to echo across the city skyline, sounding incredibly close, yet somehow terrifyingly distant.
From the brutal, bayonets-drawn, close-quarters combat of the opening laps, to the massive, terrifyingly dominant advantage established in the final stint... the Number 22 Ferrari had completely, utterly transformed this Grand Prix into a breathtaking, one-man show.
It was a massive declaration. A terrifying challenge issued to the entire grid—
That Champion's heart was beating with manic, violent intensity. A massive, surging tide of pure energy violently erupted from the chassis.
Hubert stood completely frozen in place. He could viscerally feel his blood boiling and his very soul catching fire. The deafening roar of the engines perfectly synchronized with his violently hammering heartbeat, continuously echoing inside his chest.
He desperately, burningly desired to drive exactly like Kai. Fiercely arrogant. Lawless. Wildly, completely unrestrained. Violently shedding every single shackle and fearlessly, aggressively chasing the absolute, theoretical limit of speed—
This was the fundamental, underlying reason he loved motorsport. Pouring every single ounce of his life force into relentlessly pursuing an intangible, elusive limit. It was invisible, it was untouchable... but he firmly, absolutely believed that the limit existed. It was waiting at the absolute edge of the universe, at the very end of time itself. He simply needed to drive faster. And then faster still.
And now, watching Kai operate on the asphalt, he felt that conviction with unprecedented, terrifying clarity. The absolute limit existed. He simply needed to obsessively follow in Kai's footsteps and sprint toward it.
One day, he would finally catch up to Kai. Exactly like him, he would stand on the ultimate stage, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder to shatter those limits.
He was absolutely, completely unable to wait. His wildly thrashing heart threatened to physically burst right out of his chest.
And then, he completely lost his battle for composure. His brain went entirely blank. Without a single coherent thought, his body moved entirely on its own, violently sprinting forward.
Zhou Guanyu froze in shock. He desperately attempted to grab Hubert, but his hand closed on empty air. "Anthoine!"
Hubert spun around, his eyes blazing. "Let's go! To the track!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, his smile blooming completely. He aggressively waved his arm, signaling the others. The entire Ferrari pit garage immediately followed suit, surging forward in a massive, chaotic wave.
Whoosh—
Absolutely no one was left behind.
Securing this specific championship trophy represented vastly, exponentially more than just another Grand Prix victory.
Everything felt incredibly, eerily familiar. The triumphant memories of last season's miraculous Monaco victory violently resurrected. But compared to last season... this year had been vastly more agonizing, infinitely more difficult, and saturated with terrifyingly tight, suffocating deadlocks. It wasn't just the overarching struggle of the entire championship campaign; it was the brutal reality of this specific race. The endless, catastrophic variables, the massive tactical reversals, the completely unpredictable chaos... Yet, despite everything, they had finally, miraculously reached the absolute summit.
Absolutely no one had anticipated that Kai's very first successful title defense of his professional career would occur here... in Monaco!
To this day, the undisputed, legendary 'King of Monaco' remained Ayrton Senna. The 'God of Racing' had authored the impossible, miraculous feat of securing five consecutive Monaco victories, ultimately claiming six Monaco trophies throughout his legendary career. He was the undisputed, immortalized legend of the principality. Yet, inadvertently, Kai's own career trajectory was repeatedly, miraculously aligning with Senna's legendary footsteps.
Monaco! The absolute most difficult, most unique, and most profoundly treasured circuit on the calendar!
However, thinking about it objectively... it almost felt like destiny. There was absolutely no location more perfect, or more fitting, to violently sound the horn for Ferrari's massive counter-offensive than Monaco.
Even when plunged into absolute, endless darkness... they had absolutely never surrendered hope. They had stubbornly refused to abandon their absolute conviction. Taking it one brutal step at a time, burning their very life force, fighting with absolutely everything they possessed.
In a flash, the entire organization poured out of the garage. The brilliant, spectacular wave of Ferrari red violently surged forward, completely cramming the pit lane. In a momentary daze, the entire world seemed to erupt into chaos.
One by one, they stood on their tiptoes, craning their necks, desperately searching for Kai's silhouette at the end of the circuit—
Monaco is unique. Following the conclusion of the race, the top three finishers do not immediately return to the pit lane. Instead, they are required to proceed directly to a highly specific, designated area on the main straight. The elite members of the Monégasque Royal Family are waiting there to formally welcome them. Simultaneously, the entire paddock staff violently swarms the track, lining both sides of the asphalt to offer a massive, chaotic welcome. Without a shadow of a doubt, it is the absolute most unique, spectacular post-race ceremony on the entire F1 calendar.
At this exact moment, although the Royal Family members were standing directly behind them—immaculately dressed in formal suits and haute couture, fully prepared to formally welcome the returning warriors—today, they were completely, utterly overshadowed. The deafening cheers and the thunderous applause of the entire crowd were unified in anticipation of the King's return. Hearts were hammering so violently they threatened to leap straight out of throats.
Kai. Kai. It was all about Kai.
Amidst the frantic, overlapping chatter and excited whispers, you could catch Kai's name being repeated constantly. Every single flushed face and bright, eager eye was completely filled with profound adoration.
The Royal Family, the fanatical supporters, the paddock personnel... even the F2 drivers, led by Hubert and Zhou Guanyu, were absolutely no exception.
In fact, it wasn't just them. Verstappen was also desperately searching for Kai—
That collision!
That [BEEP]ing, absolutely catastrophic collision!
It was glaringly, undeniably obvious that Kai had committed a massive offensive foul. Yet, somehow, the FIA had slapped him with a time penalty?! If Kai hadn't violently interfered, Verstappen would have been the one hunting down Hamilton! He would have been the one standing on the top step of the podium! Kai absolutely had to provide him with a massive, comprehensive explanation immediately. Otherwise, this situation was absolutely not over. He would absolutely not let this go!
"...Where is he?"
Verstappen was completely consumed by blinding rage. Projecting an aura of unstoppable, tyrannical aggression, he rapidly shoved his way through the massive crowd. He was still clutching his racing helmet. He hadn't even bothered to stop for a drink of water.
Not far behind him, Lambiase was desperately attempting to intercept him. "Max! Calm down!"
Simultaneously, several race marshals were trying to intervene. "Max, you can't go that way. Your designated podium spot is over here."
The Royal Family was standing mere feet away. If a massive, physical brawl erupted directly in front of them, absolutely no one would be able to contain the catastrophic political fallout. No one wanted to deal with that massive, agonizing headache.
However, Verstappen couldn't hear them. He couldn't even see them. His brain was completely, obsessively fixated on one single person.
"Where the hell is Kai?"
"Have you seen Kai?"
"Kai!"
He aggressively interrogated everyone in his path. He grabbed random, bewildered bystanders, aggressively barking questions in their faces. Before Lambiase could even attempt to stop the madness, an innocent bystander actually pointed him in the correct direction.
Verstappen shoved his way forward, exactly like a massive, unstoppable bulldozer.
Finally!
Following the massive, chaotic commotion of the crowd, Verstappen spotted Kai. Kai had just removed his helmet. His face was covered in sweat. His expression was icy, completely devoid of emotion.
Perfect. "KAI!" Verstappen roared at the top of his lungs.
Kai heard him. He turned his head and locked eyes with Verstappen. Then, he began walking perfectly straight toward him. His pace was incredibly fast, his aura utterly terrifying. It was only at this exact microsecond that Verstappen truly registered the look in Kai's eyes.
Kai was notoriously famous for his constant, brilliant smiles and his relentless, sarcastic banter. His eyes usually radiated a warm, highly entertained light. Searching through his memories, Verstappen couldn't recall a single instance where he had actually seen Kai genuinely, furiously angry. Even when subjected to massive provocation, Kai always maintained his smile, utilizing icy, terrifying rationality to execute his brutal counter-attacks. He never allowed raw emotion to derail his strategic focus.
Perhaps... last year at Interlagos?
Following the catastrophic collision with Vettel, Kai had displayed a highly rare, terrifying flash of genuine fury. The audio of that specific radio transmission was permanently, violently burned into the collective memory of the paddock.
However, the current reality was fundamentally different.
Icy. Silent. Completely unbothered. It felt exactly as though any massive storm or violent turbulence would simply evaporate the microsecond it encountered him. This specific version of Kai was exponentially more terrifying than the one at Interlagos. Looking into those completely expressionless eyes, you couldn't even detect a trace of murderous intent or boiling rage. There was nothing but absolute, freezing ice. A profound, bone-chilling cold that pierced straight into your soul.
As it turns out, true, lethal murderous intent isn't aggressively projected outward; it is heavily, terrifyingly internalized. The aura that naturally, effortlessly radiates from the inside out possesses a massive, mountain-crushing power. It was absolutely overwhelming.
In the span of a single, fleeting glance, Verstappen felt a massive, terrifying chill seep deep into his bones. His blinding, boiling rage was instantly, violently frozen solid. He stood completely paralyzed in place.
For a brief, terrifying moment, his brain completely flatlined. Verstappen completely forgot exactly why he had aggressively hunted Kai down in the first place. He could only viscerally, physically feel the massive, terrifying energy violently erupting from the absolute depths of Kai's soul. It cascaded down upon him, completely swallowing him whole. Every single trace of joy, frustration, or anger was completely wiped from existence.
Exactly like a Dementor sucking out his soul.
And then, Kai's footsteps didn't falter for a microsecond. Acting exactly as though he hadn't even registered Verstappen's existence, he transformed into a violent hurricane, blasting straight past Verstappen without a second glance.
It wasn't just Verstappen. Lambiase had caught a fleeting glimpse of Kai's eyes. He immediately, reflexively averted his gaze, absolutely terrified of accidentally making eye contact. He didn't even have time to process his fear. In two rapid strides, he caught up to Verstappen, violently shoving his driver behind him. He couldn't help but shoot a lingering, terrified glance at Kai's back. The freezing, bone-chilling aura radiating from him was absolutely apocalyptic.
So... exactly who was Kai aggressively hunting down? Could it be—
"Lewis?"
Kai began aggressively interrogating the crowd.
Normally, Kai always respectfully referred to Hamilton by his surname. But right now, he was uncharacteristically using his first name. His voice was freezing cold, completely devoid of any warmth.
No emotion. No fluctuation. You couldn't detect a single, microscopic trace of instability. Yet, it inspired absolute terror. It made your blood run cold.
Even without any additional, threatening dialogue, the suffocating, freezing aura radiating from him was more than sufficient to freeze a beating heart.
"Kai! Wait! Kai!" Frangipane was jogging frantically, desperately trying to catch up to Kai.
But it was impossible. How could he possibly catch him?
Today, Kai was acting completely out of character. Upon arriving at the designated Parc Fermé area, he didn't immediately launch into massive celebrations with his team, nor did he begin aggressively interacting with the crowd, as he usually did. Instead, the exact second he killed the engine, he ripped off his helmet. He shot a single, lethal glance toward the Number 44 car currently parked in the P2 slot, and immediately began aggressively hunting through the massive crowd.
So, what exactly was Kai planning to do?
Looking at the massive racing helmet Kai was currently gripping tightly in his right hand... it looked exactly like a highly lethal, blunt-force weapon!
A massive, terrifying sense of dread violently gripped Frangipane's heart. "Jock! Hurry! Hurry! You have to stop Kai!"
Clear silently looked up at the sky, aggressively pretending he hadn't heard a single word. He even raised both his hands high into the air, cheering and celebrating loudly, desperately attempting to blend seamlessly into the chaotic crowd.
But Mekies instantly grasped the catastrophic severity of the situation. He grabbed Clear's arm, violently shoving him. There was zero time for explanations. He broke into a dead sprint, charging directly toward Kai.
"Kai!" Mekies executed a rapid-fire sequence of stutter steps, desperately attempting to throw himself into Kai's path and intercept him.
At this exact moment, Borreipaire also went on high alert. Kai's terrifying silence. Kai's absolute, lethal focus. Every single microscopic detail violently converged in his brain, triggering massive alarm bells—
Mercedes-Benz had been constantly, aggressively screaming "For Lauda! For Lauda!", completely, intentionally excluding Ferrari from the narrative. But they seemed to have completely forgotten that Lauda had officially entered the Hall of Fame as a legendary Ferrari driver. This specific weekend held massive, profound, and equally critical significance for the entire Ferrari organization.
After surviving an endless barrage of catastrophic variables and massive chaos, Mercedes-Benz's completely shameless, profoundly disrespectful behavior had finally, genuinely enraged Kai.
Completely, absolutely, and utterly!
Borreipaire wasn't worried about Hamilton. He didn't care about Hamilton in the slightest. He was entirely terrified for Kai.
Borreipaire didn't say a word. He lowered his head and broke into a dead sprint, catching up to Mekies. He desperately wanted to intercept Kai. Throwing away his career for a pathetic excuse for a man like Hamilton... it absolutely wasn't worth it.
But Kai completely ignored them. He physically shoved both Mekies and Borreipaire aside. He raised his voice, enunciating every single syllable with terrifying clarity. "Lewis!"
His footsteps grew increasingly rapid, increasingly vicious. The massive inferno of rage that had been accumulating in his chest was fully reignited. It was slowly, methodically being unleashed. Mercedes-Benz and Hamilton had pushed their luck entirely too far. They were completely, utterly intolerable.
Mercedes-Benz had been constantly, aggressively accusing Kai of being lawless and utterly arrogant. But the brutal, objective reality was that the driver operating with absolute, tyrannical lawlessness was undeniably Hamilton!
An illegal secondary defensive block?
If Kai hadn't possessed elite, terrifying composure during that massive crisis, that illegal block in Turn 6 would have sent him violently crashing straight into the wall, ending his race instantly. Meanwhile, Hamilton would have comfortably, arrogantly cruised to the ultimate victory, completely escaping any penalty. So, exactly who was the one blatantly ignoring the regulations and employing filthy, disgusting tactics?!
Kai didn't have many flaws. But he absolutely, fundamentally despised being falsely accused.
He didn't mind being cast as the villain. But he absolutely refused to be framed. Since they were so incredibly eager to label him as a lawless lunatic... fine. He would happily demonstrate exactly what absolute, unhinged lawlessness truly looked like. After he was finished, regardless of what vicious insults they hurled at him, he would gladly, calmly accept them—
Since it would then be an objective fact, there was no need to argue.
The Royal Family?
So what!
"Lewis..."
The drawn-out pronunciation of the name slowly escalated in pitch, eventually carrying a faint, terrifyingly calm hint of laughter. It was incredibly unsettling.
"Lewis, we need to have a conversation. Face-to-face. One-on-one!"
The massive crowd slowly began to stir with unease. The Mercedes-Benz personnel also noticed the rapidly escalating chaos. They stared, completely, utterly dumbfounded.
In truth, this type of raw, physical confrontation was incredibly common in the Formula 1 paddock during the 1990s. It was a brutal, savage, fiercely aggressive era. Less covert political maneuvering, significantly more direct, physical brawls. But since the turn of the millennium, scenes like this had become incredibly rare. Following the introduction of the highly sanitized turbo-hybrid era, those visceral memories felt exactly like myths from an ancient, barbaric age. You simply never saw this anymore.
This...?
Hamilton, who was currently wiping sweat from his face and drinking water, heard the call. It sounded exactly like the whisper of a demon.
Hamilton was already utterly consumed by boiling rage. He was deeply, profoundly furious. A race specifically dedicated to honoring Lauda's legacy had been completely, catastrophically ruined. The massive, heavy knot of frustration trapped in his chest refused to dissipate.
Hearing Kai's highly provocative, incredibly arrogant tone, his temper instantly violently erupted. He immediately lunged forward.
The Mercedes-Benz personnel completely panicked. As they frantically tried to figure out what to do, a voice screamed, "Stop them!"
The warning instantly jolted them awake. They swarmed forward in a massive, chaotic wave. One group desperately tried to restrain Hamilton, while the other group charged forward to intercept Kai. The already incredibly crowded, chaotic starting grid instantly devolved into an absolute madhouse.
However, this still completely failed to stop Kai.
One step!
Then another step!
Projecting an aura of unstoppable, tyrannical momentum, he marched perfectly straight forward. "Lewis! Hamilton!"
Scanning the chaotic crowd, Kai instantly locked onto Hamilton's silhouette. The roar that erupted from his throat was explosive. Kai violently shoved aside every single person attempting to intercept him, one after another. His eyes remained unblinkingly locked onto Hamilton. Possessing an absolutely unstoppable posture, he charged forward at full speed.
The massive, densely packed layers of humanity were fundamentally incapable of halting Kai's advance. The muscles across his entire body were rigidly tense, looking exactly like a massive, awakening dragon. A raw, terrifying scent of blood subconsciously radiated from him. His crushing, tyrannical aura violently suppressed the surging crowd, igniting a primal, instinctual fear in the absolute depths of their souls.
"For Lauda?"
"Do not dare tarnish Niki Lauda's legendary name! And absolutely do not attempt to utilize Niki Lauda's unparalleled glory to mask your own pathetic, microscopic insignificance!"
"If Niki were here to witness your blatantly illegal secondary block today, what exactly do you think he would say? He sacrificed an unimaginable amount of blood, sweat, and tears to meticulously establish the safety regulations specifically designed to protect the drivers. He constantly, relentlessly reminded us to fiercely cherish this sport, and to profoundly respect every single opponent. Your disgusting, pathetic performance today is a massive insult to every single ounce of effort Niki poured into this sport."
One step. Then another step.
One sentence. Then another sentence.
Exactly like a massive, rolling tsunami. Endless and relentless. Even amidst the chaotic, deafening roar of the massive crowd, his voice resonated exactly like a series of massive thunderclaps. It was completely deafening.
Hamilton, usually renowned for his absolute, icy composure and flawless self-control, currently looked incredibly pathetic and cowardly. He completely lost his battle with his rage. He violently snapped his head up and lunged forward.
His knee clipped a chair, sending his resting helmet and racing gloves violently clattering to the floor. The suffocating, bayonets-drawn tension instantly detonated. It looked absolutely certain that the confrontation was about to violently escalate into a massive, physical brawl!
At this exact moment, the rest of the paddock completely lost the ability to remain passive spectators. Everyone frantically swarmed the area in a massive panic. They aggressively shoved themselves between Kai and Hamilton, forming a massive, densely packed human barricade. It wasn't just Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari personnel; members from every other team, along with dozens of FIA track marshals, surged forward in a massive, chaotic wave. They utilized the most primitive, brutal method possible to violently sever any potential physical contact between the two drivers.
Three people. Five people. Thirty people. Fifty people.
A massive, densely packed wall of humanity stood firmly in front of Kai. The deafening, buzzing noise of the crowd continuously hammered against his eardrums. Finally, Hamilton's silhouette was completely, utterly swallowed by the mob.
He could no longer see him.
However, the massive floodgates of Kai's fury had already been thrown wide open. It was completely impossible to suppress. The massive, toxic accumulation of grievances and bitter rivalries that had been steadily building since last season had finally, violently detonated today.
Kai physically shoved Mekies aside. He shoved Borreipaire aside. He shoved Frangipane aside. He took two deliberate steps backward, slightly increasing the distance. He raised his chin, staring intently over the heads of the massive crowd, his gaze still locked entirely onto the area where Hamilton and the Mercedes-Benz crew were clustered. His shoulders and arms were entirely, rigidly tense. His tightly clenched fists were clearly visible. That terrifying, murderous aura remained entirely unsuppressed. Exactly like a massive, rolling tsunami, it violently suppressed the chaotic crowd in front of him, slamming directly into the shameless coward currently hiding behind them.
A brilliant smile finally bloomed across his face.
So incredibly arrogant, so wildly unrestrained... and so utterly, terrifyingly dominant—
This was a provocation. This was a blatant, unapologetic, highly public provocation!
If Mercedes-Benz genuinely believed they could successfully utilize filthy, disgusting tactics to break his spirit... it simply proved that Toto Wolff had never, ever truly understood exactly what kind of monster he was dealing with. The catastrophic disaster in Abu Dhabi clearly hadn't taught Wolff a permanent lesson.
The more aggressively his opponents utilized these pathetic tactics, the more fiercely Kai's fighting spirit burned. His conviction became absolute steel. He was fully prepared to execute a massive, brutal counter-attack, amplifying the retaliation tenfold, or even a hundredfold.
If you want a war, I will gladly give you a war!
Fine. Let them fight until the absolute bitter end! A fight to the death! He was fully prepared to show Mercedes-Benz exactly what true, absolute lawlessness looked like! He would force Mercedes-Benz to realize that they completely lacked the fundamental qualifications to even attempt to define him. He would utilize his own absolute, tyrannical posture to completely shatter their narrow, pathetic worldview.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
The chaotic, frantic whispers surged through the air. The suffocatingly hot, stagnant air was trapped heavily in their chests, feeling as though it were about to violently detonate. The massive, densely packed sea of humanity cramming the city streets universally turned their heads, staring in exactly the same direction. The massive, surging crowd stared blankly at the single, solitary figure standing in the absolute epicenter of the chaos. Involuntarily—
They felt an overwhelming urge to fall to their knees in worship.
So incredibly arrogant, and so brilliantly, majestically unrestrained. The massive crowd of fifty thousand... a hundred thousand people... seemed completely, fundamentally incapable of suppressing his overwhelming presence. He was utilizing a fiercely rebellious, entirely unyielding posture to violently challenge all established authority and tradition. Even the elite Monégasque Royal Family had been temporarily completely forgotten. The entire city was currently prostrating itself at his feet, dead silent, shivering uncontrollably.
He. Kai. From the exact microsecond he first stepped into the paddock, he had been the ultimate outsider. A total amateur. A massive, terrifying disruptor explicitly designed to violently shatter the established rules of the game.
Clearly, absolutely no one possessed the power to halt his relentless advance. He was continuously, aggressively sprinting forward, constantly ascending to terrifying new heights. He was actively, violently overturning everything they thought they knew about this sport.
The world was so incredibly silent. It was so quiet you couldn't hear a single, extraneous sound. Yet, simultaneously, it was incredibly, deafeningly loud. The violent, hammering sound of hearts slamming against ribs completely saturated the air in a massive, overwhelming wave.
Hamilton, despite being separated by multiple dense layers of the crowd, witnessed this exact scene. He could still clearly, viscerally see Kai's silhouette. Standing with terrifying, razor-sharp brilliance amidst the massive chaos. Kai shot him a look of absolute, profound contempt and deep disgust. It was as if Kai was openly, publicly mocking Hamilton for being a pathetic, cowardly turtle who completely lacked the courage to engage in a direct, face-to-face confrontation.
The realization instantly, violently pierced Hamilton's soul. His rationality completely snapped its reins. He didn't care about anything anymore.
Wolff was the very first person to notice Hamilton's violent movement. "Bono! Grab him!"
Driven entirely by reflex, Bono violently wrapped his arms around Hamilton, holding him back.
"Let me go! Bono!" Hamilton was completely, utterly consumed by blinding rage. This was absolutely, fundamentally intolerable! The man who lacked the courage to throw the first punch was the true coward!
At this exact microsecond, a voice violently shattered constraints. Exactly like a massive thunderclap, it detonated directly against their eardrums, instantly obliterating the suffocating tension—
"Captain!"
The air instantly solidified.
Kai turned his head, following the sound. His vision was immediately filled with countless vibrant, wildly enthusiastic faces. Their eyes were blindingly bright. Without requiring a single extraneous word, he could clearly, viscerally feel the massive, surging wave of hot-blooded passion burning in their chests.
The brilliant smile completely, flawlessly bloomed across his face. Kai raised his racing helmet high into the air, thrusting it straight toward the sky.
"Aye!" he roared.
Standing amidst the massive crowd, Anya stared blankly at this highly unfamiliar, utterly wild version of Kai. He had completely stripped off his diplomatic mask. He was proudly displaying his true, authentic self. He looked exactly like a king standing at the absolute summit of the world. Her heart began to beat with uncontrollable, terrifying intensity. It felt as though it was going to physically burst out of her chest. Before her brain could even begin to process a coherent thought, her body had already instinctively initiated a response.
"Aye—"
Anya threw her right arm high into the air, her index finger pointing fiercely toward the sky. She screamed with every single ounce of energy in her body. It was merely a single, simple syllable. But for some inexplicable reason, it felt incredibly liberating and utterly triumphant. A massive smile instantly claimed her face.
A second later, Anya finally realized that she was merely a single drop of water in this massive, roaring ocean. One after another, voice after voice joined the chorus. Exactly like a massive echo, exactly like a towering tidal wave. The sound violently reverberated, echoing continuously across the entire city.
The massive, surging wave of pure passion and boiling hot blood converged from every conceivable direction, completely enveloping Kai. The raw emotion instantly, violently detonated. He clenched both hands into tight fists, threw his head back, and let out a massive, roaring scream toward the heavens—
AH!
He had reached the summit! The Champion!
Utilizing an absolutely honorable, perfectly clean strategy. Utilizing a fiercely unyielding, absolutely uncompromising methodology. Amidst the most extreme adversity, amidst absolute, terrifying chaos. He had violently slashed through the thorns, ruthlessly carving his way to the absolute summit to claim the throne.
The 2019 Monaco Grand Prix Champion. It belonged exclusively to Kai. The undisputed, newly crowned King of the Streets!
BOOM!
A massive, terrifying crack of thunder echoed from the sky. The entire world began to violently shake. Before the massive crowds packing the circuit could even attempt to react, massive, heavy drops of rain instantly began falling. In the blink of an eye, the sky opened up, and the rain poured down exactly like a massive waterfall.
The rain had finally arrived.
After an agonizingly long wait, after endless, desperate prayers... the terrifying 90% probability of rain had finally, successfully materialized. It was simply slightly later than the original projections.
The rain arrived suddenly, entirely without warning. The crowd had been so completely, profoundly engrossed in the spectacular, dramatic conclusion of the race that they had temporarily entirely forgotten about the massive storm that had been threatening them for hours. They were instantly, violently drenched by the torrential downpour. Their absolute, primal instinct was to immediately turn and desperately seek shelter. The massive crowd instantly fell into a state of chaotic panic.
It was glaringly obvious. The Royal Family, shielded by their massive security detail, were hastily escorted under the protective awnings. However, the sheer, unimaginable density of the crowd packing the venue was vastly beyond comprehension—
It looked absolutely certain that a massive, catastrophic stampede was about to erupt. It possessed the terrifying potential to mutate into a deadly disaster at any second.
However, Kai didn't move.
He didn't run for cover. He didn't panic. He took three rapid, sprinting steps forward. With a massive, athletic leap, he vaulted directly onto the nose of his Ferrari. Standing high above the chaotic crowd, looking exactly like a conquering king, he violently pumped his fists and screamed into the storm.
AHHHHH! AHHHHH!
Pure, unadulterated passion. Absolute release. The two hours of suffocating, agonizing heat and restless anxiety. The two hours of brutal, cutthroat combat and lethal tension. It all violently cascaded outward, exactly like the massive, torrential summer rainstorm currently soaking the city.
A massive rainstorm? So what?!
One by one, the frantic, panicked footsteps desperately searching for shelter slowly came to a halt. They turned back. They threw their arms wide open, fully embracing the pouring rain. They began dancing wildly, screaming with uninhibited joy. It transformed into a massive, collective carnival.
The entire city of Monaco instantly devolved into a massive, unhinged rave.
Thinking about it objectively... a race this incredibly spectacular, this phenomenally thrilling, absolutely required this exact, dramatic, highly cinematic conclusion. The annual Monaco Grand Prix had officially concluded as a massive, unhinged carnival. The sheer spectacle easily eclipsed the legendary 2018 race. It was undeniably destined to be the primary topic of passionate, feverish discussion for a very, very long time.
And then, the people who had already successfully secured shelter beneath the awnings or inside the VIP suites saw the incredible scene unfolding outside. They found themselves completely, inexplicably unable to resist the primal urge. They began to stir with restless energy. When the very first person broke ranks, sprinting out from under the awning to fully embrace the torrential rain... the rest of the crowd followed suit, cascading forward exactly like a massive line of dominoes, completely saturating every single corner of the city streets.
In the span of a few microscopic seconds, a massive, potential disaster had magically mutated into a massive, collective carnival. The initial, terrifying spikes of panic and chaos were entirely temporary; they quickly vanished without a single trace.
Prince Albert II stared at the scene unfolding before him, utterly, profoundly dumbfounded.
Today, Prince Albert II had attended the race immaculately dressed in a formal, highly tailored suit. When the torrential rain suddenly arrived without warning, he had frantically retreated beneath the awnings. Despite the rapid evacuation, he had still been caught in the downpour. He currently looked slightly disheveled. But before he even had time to properly adjust his suit, he turned around. The entire atmosphere and visual reality of the street in front of him had fundamentally, radically altered.
He stood there, completely stunned. He vividly remembered that mere seconds before he turned around, the entire area had been plunged into absolute, chaotic panic, looking exactly like a scene ripped straight out of the apocalyptic movie '2012.' So, what exactly was happening right now?
Beside him, an aide was frantically attempting to persuade Prince Albert II to quickly tidy his appearance. Royal Family members were strictly obligated to maintain an aura of flawless perfection in all press coverage. Prince Albert II was preparing to comply when he suddenly noticed a massive, boiling heatwave of pure energy surging directly toward him. He looked up and saw the silhouette.
Tall. Athletic. Standing perfectly straight. He was wearing his fireproof racing suit, casually carrying his helmet. Even amidst the chaotic, torrential downpour, he radiated an aura of absolute, unbothered elegance. He was completely enveloped in a swirling mist of water vapor and radiating body heat. He looked exactly like the Terminator arriving from the future. He required absolutely zero dramatic gestures to effortlessly, instantly command the absolute, undivided attention of the entire venue.
His footsteps were bringing him perfectly straight toward Prince Albert II.
Instantly, Prince Albert II's elite security detail rapidly deployed. They formed a solid barricade directly in front of him, fully prepared to physically intercept Kai before he could get any closer.
Prince Albert II wasn't entirely certain if he was hallucinating, but he was fairly sure he spotted a brilliant, wildly uninhibited smile blooming on Kai's lips.
Judging by Kai's body language, he absolutely possessed zero intention of forcefully pushing his way through the barricade. He paused his approach. Standing behind the human wall of security guards, he offered a polite, respectful nod. A simple, elegant greeting from a distance.
His next intended move was glaringly obvious. He was preparing to turn and walk away. Completely unbothered. Free and easy. He wouldn't take a single cloud with him when he left. He had simply approached to offer a polite, diplomatic greeting.
A massive, overwhelming wave of pure, hot-blooded adrenaline suddenly surged violently through Prince Albert II. In the distant, chaotic era of the 1990s, he too had been exactly this wild, exactly this untamed, exactly this free-spirited. He had lived exactly like a vagabond, recklessly burning his youth, growing wild and unrestrained, completely unapologetically enjoying every second of his life. Seeing Kai standing right in front of him forcefully awakened a massive, dormant desire buried deep within the absolute core of his soul.
From last year to this year. Kai had conquered Monaco twice. He utilized two fundamentally, radically different strategies to secure the victories. But the single, undeniable constant was the fiercely independent, brilliantly free soul currently standing inside that racing suit.
Prince Albert II completely lost his battle for composure. He aggressively shoved his way through the microscopic gap in his elite security detail. He took two massive, rapid strides forward. He possessed a terrifying, overwhelming urge to sprint directly out into the torrential rain. However, the frantic, desperate shouts from his aides behind him finally forced him to violently yank the reins on his rationality while teetering on the absolute edge of the cliff. He abruptly halted his advance exactly at the edge of the protective awning. He raised his voice, shouting over the roar of the storm.
"Kai!"