Volume Two: Life and Death at Speed in the North Realm - First Night

On the sandy riverbank, a red and yellow SUV was speeding along. The red-haired beauty, Emilia, sitting in the driver's seat, was looking anxiously at the pendant hanging on the rearview mirror.

"Bonus points! Bonus points... No response."

"Don't rush, Amy, this is just the beginning," Messiah comforted her.

"But that Ally Alice might have already found it!" Emilia said irritably.

"If they find it before us, then they're not idiots..." Tani Hana Hibiki muttered under her breath.

"Xiang-chan, you have to consider the atmosphere when you're making sarcastic remarks," Tani Hana Mei whispered a reminder.

"Ugh, you guys have had enough! We need to speed things up! It would be so embarrassing if we didn't beat that idiot Ally and got caught up by someone else!"

"Amy..."

"Speaking of which, those media outlets are really something. Why are there only three airships overhead reporting on us right now? Are we only worth this much?"

"Amy, um..."

"But if it were that Ally, there probably wouldn't be a plane following them. Looks like I'm still the best."

"Hey, Amy..."

"Ugh, what's wrong, Ming-chan? It keeps saying 'Emi-emi-emi'."

"I just wanted to say that the pendant... seems to have become brighter?"

"... Huh?"

"It really is! The temperature seems to have risen too." Messiah carefully touched the pendant, comparing its temperature with the air temperature.

"... Could it be that we've stumbled upon a point that could earn us extra points?" Tani Hana Hibiki asked cautiously.

"..."

Silence, and then--

"Oh, oh~~~ Roar! Roar! Roar! This, this was all expected! This puts me way ahead of that idiot Ally!"

"Huh? Huh? Really? Amy is amazing!" Tani Hana Mei's eyes lit up with admiration.

"She's obviously putting on a brave face, Ming-chan..." Messiah sighed.

"Just search the surrounding area! Hurry, hurry!"

Before me stretched an endless expanse of purplish-black earth, a thick layer of fine purplish-black soil resembling a pitch-black night sky. Yet, the vegetation here was quite pale in color, with large trees, low shrubs, and grayish-white rocks scattered sparsely across the ground, like stars in the night sky—truly a beautiful sight.

It was already night when we entered the Black Sand Plain.

"... What happened to the agreed-upon 'walking for another twenty minutes'?"

"Just kidding~ just to cheer you up." Givinia said nonchalantly.

"I'll beat you up."

As we were exchanging a few words, the car's speed noticeably decreased.

"It's getting late, it's time to set up camp and rest, Givinia, do you have any recommendations?" Ally asked.

"Hmm... It's getting dark, visibility is limited, and I don't have any good ideas... How about behind that big rock? It's sheltered from the wind there, the rock is very stable, and since this is a plain, we don't have to worry about falling rocks or mudslides. Plus, there's a river not far from the rock, and it's not the rainy season, so the river won't swell."

"Great choice! That's it!"

"Rest now? I thought you'd be traveling some more, Ally. Aren't you afraid of being overtaken?"

"Being overtaken is inevitable, but it's dark and we can't see the road clearly. Monsters also frequently appear at night on the North Realm Continent, so getting some rest is the best option."

"Oh..."

Although Ally can be quite emotional at times, she is still the captain and wouldn't risk her life for petty gains.

"Phew~~~~~ Finally I can rest, I'm exhausted~~~~~~"

Ally sprawled casually across the back seat, looking every bit like an office worker who had just returned home after a long day of work.

"Sister, you've been driving all this time, you must be tired. Take a rest, would you like a massage?" Ailin immediately stepped forward and asked with concern.

"No need... You should check Sirius right away. It rushed too hard at the beginning, and it might have already malfunctioned."

"Oh... I see..." Ailin lowered her head and opened the hood, seemingly a little disappointed.

"Ailin, do you need my help?"

"Sister Ye? Oh, Sister Ye, you must be tired from fighting all day, so you should rest quickly... Aww... Aww..." Ailin's face immediately turned red, and she began to stammer.

This child is still so shy after spending a whole day together...

"Actually, I just wanted to understand the internal structure of the race car, don't worry about it."

"Ah... alright then, thank you for your trouble!" Ailin quickly bowed deeply, making me feel a little embarrassed.

"Then A Ye and Ailin will be in charge of vehicle maintenance, I'll be in charge of security and dinner, and as for Ally..."

"ZzzzZZZZZZZZZ..."

"She's asleep... Oh well, let her sleep."

"... So, this is Psionic Brick slot, this is a cylinder, and this is a refrigerator..."

Ailin explained things to me as she worked. Her skillful movements truly amazed me; with her fingers flying across the screen, each instrument part was disassembled without any resistance. She didn't need wrenches, screwdrivers, or similar tools at all; she simply ran her hand over it, and "screws" would automatically unscrew them, easily disassembling the components.

Young girl, Chinese

mountain

east blue

Welcome, Shit.

Each time she disassembled a part, I took it and arranged it neatly on the ground; it was an easy job.

"Ailin, you're so amazing..."

"Ah... what are you saying all of a sudden! I didn't mean it that way... hahaha..."

Xiafei covered her face with her hands, and even I, who's not a lolicon, was charmed by her... wait?

This was the first time I had ever observed her hands up close. Her hands were so small, but upon closer inspection, they were covered with scars and calluses. They didn't look like the hands of a young girl in her prime.

"...Ah!" She noticed my gaze and immediately hid her hands.

"See... do you see that?"

"Uh... how should I put it? It seems you've been a technician for quite a while now, you're really hardworking."

"Actually, my sister's hands are even more frightening... because she's always operating vehicles, the old calluses on her hands wear off and new calluses grow back, over and over again, and I... just can't stand it anymore."

You guys have really had it tough...

Feeling the time was right, I seized the opportunity to ask the question that had been lingering in my mind for a long time.

"Do you guys have some kind of grudge against that Noxar Team? If you don't mind, could you... tell me about it?"

"Actually, it doesn't matter if we say it... Everyone thinks our father died in an accident, but that's not true."

"Could it be someone!?"

"That's right," Ailin's small face was filled with bitterness, "The murderer is one of the current members of Noxar Team."

"There's this other relationship too..." Having suddenly learned such a heavy truth, I was speechless.

"Ah! Um, it was wrong of us to hide something, but for the details you should... ask your sister."

"I'm sorry for bringing up your painful past!"

"I'm fine, after all, I was still young then, and so much time has passed... But my sister is different. Ever since Dad passed away, she's been pushing herself to the limit, never letting up. Even though she was less than ten years old then, she single-handedly shouldered Dad's responsibilities, relentlessly honing herself, but..."

I roughly guessed the outcome.

Despite Ally's best efforts, the convoy, without its leader, inevitably met its end. Ally's efforts were in vain, and in the end, only she and her sister remained in the entire convoy...

"But my sister never gave up! Even when everyone left, and the team's private facilities were forced to be sold, she never shed a tear! She trained and trained, constantly getting stronger, chasing after Dad's shadow, waiting for the day the team would rise again... Seeing my sister like that, I also started to study and hone my skills as a technician, just so I could become her strength..."

"... Really, you've worked hard, you too, and Ally too."

"It's not hard for me!"

The previous sadness vanished without a trace, as if it had been a lie, Ailin revealed a bright smile.

"Even if my father passes away, even if the racing team disbands, as long as I can be with my sister and be a source of strength for her, I will be happy!"

"..."

Seeing her like this, I didn't know what to say.

"But..."

The radiant smile suddenly turned into a faint sadness.

Her flowing blonde hair fell down, her long eyelashes fluttered gently, and her blue, watery eyes shimmered with tears.

At this moment, Ailin looked like a fairy, beautiful and ethereal.

"My sister has been working tirelessly to rebuild the convoy and seek revenge... When will she finally pay more attention to me?"

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I have no idea what a sister complex is~