Honkai Impact 3rd: Will Of The Universe

(S2) Split

They say that, if you gaze long enough at the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

Location: Fog City

Time: 21:00

The sound inside the tunnel was not a hum; it was a physical assault. The BMW M3 GTR breathed through its straight-cut gears with a high-pitched, mechanical shriek that harmonized with the guttural, low-frequency thrum of the V8 engine. As Shiro slammed the lever into sixth, the vibration traveled from the magnesium casing, through the shift linkage, and directly into his marrow.

Outside the cockpit, the tunnel walls were a flickering strobe of yellow lights. The speedometer needle swept past 300km/h, the turbochargers whistling a frantic, burning melody as the car sliced through the wake of slower traffic. To any observer, it was a silver-and-blue blur—a ghost from a forgotten era of internal combustion, refusing to go quietly into the night.

High above the city's stratosphere, aboard the Hyperion, the atmosphere in the tactical command center was one of clinical observation. The main screen flickered with a wireframe map of the expressway, a single pulsing blue dot moving at a velocity that defied the city's automated traffic algorithms.

Bronya Zaychik sat encased in her floating interface, her fingers dancing across holographic keys. A sharp ping echoed through the bridge.

"Subject Shiro has hit maximum rated velocity on his initial burn," Bronya reported, her voice calm but underlined with a trace of analytical curiosity. "His heart rate is elevated, but his grip pressure on the wheel is steady. It is... illogical."

Theresa Apocalypse leaned over the console, staring at the telemetry. "He's never driven a racecar before, right? That vehicle is a nightmare to handle at those speeds without stabilizers."

"Correct," Bronya replied, zooming into a 3D render of the M3 GTR's chassis. "The physics suggest he should be struggling with aerodynamic lift. However, his steering inputs are minute, anticipatory rather than reactive. This is not the behavior of a novice. It is as if the muscle memory of Gaia or Kyo is surfacing through the neurological bridge. He isn't learning to drive; he is remembering."

She paused, her eyes scanning a secondary monitor.  "The area is clear, for now we have not detected any Honkai or supernatural reactions."

The tunnel spat the M3 GTR out into the neon-drenched heart of the city. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and rain-slicked asphalt. Ahead, a traffic light turned a sharp, bleeding red.

Instead of coasting to a stop, Shiro stayed on the throttle until the last possible microsecond. He slammed the brake pedal, the carbon-ceramic rotors glowing a fierce orange as the car dipped its nose, the tires chirping in protest before coming to a dead halt exactly at the white line.

He sat there, the V8 idling with a violent, uneven lope,  making the entire chassis shiver. He wanted to be seen. He wanted to be a problem.

Within seconds, the vacuum of silence was filled by the approach of three high-spec machines. They moved with a synchronized, predatory grace, surrounding the BMW in a tight box.

On his left, a Black Toyota Supra MK2, its bodywork pristine and low to the ground. Behind him, a Red Ford Mustang GT, the engine growling with a heavy, forced-induction whine. And on his right, pulling up until their mirrors almost touched, was an Orange Mazda RX-7.

The Mazda's window slid down with a smooth, electric hum. The driver, a young man with neon-dyed hair and a look of practiced arrogance, leaned out.

"Damn, you can't be serious?" he shouted over the rumble of the engines. "You think that outdated machine still has a chance in this district? Look at the panels, kid. It belongs in a museum, not on the grid."