"...Project MF? Motor Future? Huh?"

As I repeated in confusion the words Saionji had just uttered, she nodded with a charming smile.

"That's right. I was looking for people to participate in my thesis, and one of my sponsors - your mentor, Mikazuchi-san - suggested drafting you into the race."

The more Saionji spoke, the less clear this situation was becoming. Thesis? Race? What's going on here exactly?

I turned to Mikazuchi-sensei, hoping to seek answers from him. However, all that I saw when I looked at his face was a smug smile, and a glint in his beady eyes showing how he was enjoying seeing me out of my depths a bit too much.

In the first place, this situation was absurd to take in. We had just finished the Mixed Training Bootcamp special exam, and I was looking forward to returning to GEN Academy to spend the rest of my summer peacefully there.

Yet somehow, I was dragged away by Chabashira-sensei to this conference room, whereupon entering, there were a whole slew of new and familiar faces waiting to induct me into this project I'd heard nothing about before.

Standing behind me was Chabashira-sensei and standing in front of me were Mikazuchi-sensei and a woman I'd never met before until now— Saionji. On my left was Shigaisoshi-sama and Minamoto, and on my right was Anjou-sensei.

"Mikazuchi-sensei... may I enquire on what you signed me up to without my knowledge?"

"Ha ha, you're overthinking things too much here, Takanori-shounen. Relax, you'll enjoy this."

I sighed, putting my hands in my pockets.

"Then can I at least receive an explanation on what's going on here?"

"You know I would love to, but I think it's better if you heard straight from Saionji-san's mouth. She's the organiser, after all. At the very least, I'll say that the present I gave you has to do with it."

Mikazuchi-sensei winked, giving a cheeky grin and cool thumbs up. I raised an eyebrow, before remembering the bag he gave me after I retired from the hide and seek challenge.

Inside, buried at the bottom of all those snacks, were a pair of car keys.

"I suppose I should introduce myself, although it's far more entertaining seeing you look like a lost lamb in all of this, Takanori Yuuto-san."

Saionji giggled, offering her hand out to me. I haven't even introduced myself, yet she already knew what my full name was. Just how much information did Mikazuchi-sensei give her...?

"My name is Saionji Yuuri, and I'm currently studying for a doctorate in Vanguard at the University of Tokyo. It's nice to meet you, Takanori-san. I've heard many interesting things about you from Mikazuchi-san."

Considering how mature she looks, it made sense she was that far in her education and work career. It was kind of scary though, since that meant I was basically being recruited by an expert.

What surprised me though was her specialty subject. Considering the gift Mikazuchi-sensei got me, I was expecting her to study something car related. If this project leans more on the Vanguard side though, it suddenly makes sense why he got me involved.

While I'm still not happy about it, it's something I'm capable of doing.

"I'm Takanori Yuuto. It's nice to meet you too. Please don't pay too much attention to what he said..."

I shook her hand, reluctantly, and froze up a little as a sharp chill ran down my spine. It was like I was shocked by one million volts...

In that moment, my eyes widened as I realised it.

Up until now, it hadn't even occurred to me before, but...

...the aura emanating off Saionji Yuuri screamed of danger.

She had either done an excellent job at hiding her true power, or I had only noticed after making direct contact with her.

Either way, as our hands parted, my heart was left with an imprint. Without even saying or doing anything towards me, her mere presence had branded me with a vague new feeling. One that I couldn't put my finger on.

"Don't worry, it was mostly positive things."

"Mostly...?"

"There were a few questionable ones thrown in the mix... such as how you have a severe mother complex."

I gave Mikazuchi-sensei a side eye, making him shrug.

"What? It's true."

"It is not..."

"A ha ha ha, it's alright Takanori-shounen, you don't have to lie in front of the class. Just be honest with yourself, we'll accept you as you are either way."

I was almost too stunned to speak. Saionji laughed, shaking her head.

"It's alright, Takanori-san. To be honest, I'm a little bit like you, but in the opposite sense. One of my dreams is life is to start a family. I would love to have a child that I can take care of."

The dangerous aura surrounding Saionji had vanished. It was almost strange how smoothly she switched between being enigmatic to wholesome.

In the first place, why were these two trying to make me feel better about a complex I don't have? I only ever had a crush on my mom when I was a kid, and I most definitely feel nothing of the sort towards her now...

"Hey, you two might be a good match for each other then! Saionji-san's only four years older than you, Takanori-shounen, so the age gap isn't too big either. Unless, that's something you're into as well?"

Mikazuchi-sensei laughed like a gremlin. I wanted to knock him out with a rocket punch, Shimada style.

"Wait... she's only how many years older?"

I blinked, looking up at Saionji. With how much older she looked than me, I thought she was in her mid twenties.

"Four."

Mikazuchi-sensei repeated it, and I did the math in my head.

"S-Saionji-san... is only 19?"

Saionji giggled with a nod.

"That's right. And four years ago, I was a 1st Year here at GEN Academy, just like you."

Suddenly, it made perfect sense why Mikazuchi-sensei and Saionji knew each other. If she was a student at this school, she either had Mikazuchi-sensei as one of her teachers, or she knew Kaido as one of her underclassmen.

"If that's the case... how are you already doing a doctorate?"

"I completed my bachelors and masters at Cambridge University within a year."

"...you're allowed to do that?"

"Of course. When you're that good at what you do, it's in the university's best interests to help you keep growing so they have another name to add to their list of important or famous alumni. There's no merit in holding back exceptional talent. Plus, it helped that the British Vanguard scene is abysmal. Compared to me and my skills, playing against my classmates and even the best pro players from that region, it felt like a chore."

The more Saionji told me about herself, the more I realised I was dealing with someone beyond impressive. She was probably on the same caliber as Kaido and Kishou, probably even higher.

"Ha ha, that's all good and everything, but I don't think Takanori-shounen will understand the scope of what he's dealing with by mentioning out of reach accolades like that. How long do you plan on continuing to stay humble for, Saionji-san?"

An ominous smile appeared on Mikazuchi-sensei's lips. Saionji laughed.

"Well, I thought it would be better to hold back so I don't scare him away."

"That's the thing though, Saionji-san. Takanori-shounen is always up for a challenge."

So this was how Mikazuchi-sensei was going to continue training me, by pitting me up against enemies - no, monsters - on the same level or beyond Kaido, huh?

"Hey, Takanori-san. Have you ever heard of the legend of a student finding a loophole in the S System that caused millions upon millions of class points to be given to their class?"

"I have... Chabashira-sensei told our class about it before."

Saionji pointed at herself.

"It was me. I was that student. And as a result, I was excommunicated from the Royalty— I lost my spot as GEN's strongest King in history."

Saionji's aura wasn't screaming just danger anymore.

It was singing a song of death.

A shadow swayed in my mind.

"So you're the legendary Reaper... the one Kishou-sama received his title from."

Saionji smiled.

"That's right. I was also his senpai. I taught him everything I knew."

So a monster taught another monster, huh...?

No wonder Kishou is so freakishly strong... he learnt from GEN Academy's very best.

"Well, that's all in the past now. Now that you know all of that, I'm sure you're dying to find out what Project MF is."

"Yeah... I would really like to know what's going on."

"It's all quite simple really. For my thesis, I want to explore the intersectionality between Vanguard and street racing, my two favourite things in the world. This is Project MF— Motor Future. As such, I created the concept of Riding Duels, a form of Vanguard where players simultaneously race and cardfight each other at the same time, enabled by using the cutting edge holographic technology GEN Academy developed for their War Time. I'm sure you're familiar of it."

It's been awhile since our class has gone to war with another class. Though, I suppose that's because the school wanted to minimise disruption for us since we were spending the majority of our time preparing for the Test Shuffle special exam.

"I am, yeah."

"My plan is to shrink down that technology into a compact cube that can be retroactively fitted onto cars and use them to simulate the cardfight portion of the duel, eliminating the potential risks or dangers that would come from balancing doing two things at once while driving."

While I was sceptical at whether this would work or not, I had to admit the idea of using this currently secluded technology to expand on Vanguard's accessibility, spectacle, and ways to play was exciting.

"To trial this, I'm holding the world's very first Riding Duel tournament. That's where you come in, Takanori-san. One of my largest sponsors is your mentor, Mikazuchi-san, and he specifically recommended you to me as one of the 16 participants. If you think you're under qualified, don't worry. I have no preference to who joins, as long as they can both drive and play Vanguard. The point of this tournament is to test both the Riding Duel concept and the hologram block prototypes that the headmaster has graciously authorised me to use. So, what do you say? Are you in?"

Saionji held out her hand, inviting me to join her grand scale project over the summer. I closed my eyes.

"Sorry... but I think you're asking the wrong person here. Unfortunately, for better or worse, I don't know how to drive."

Hearing that, Mikazuchi-sensei did a spit laugh, before covering his mouth seeing how everyone looked at him confused over why he found that so funny. Knowing him, he was probably laughing over the fact <that> didn't teach me...

"That's not a problem."

I opened my eyes, seeing Saionji smile thinly.

"What...?"

"If you can't drive, then you can just learn how to before the tournament starts."

"And what if I can't?"

Saionji chuckled.

"Are you that opposed to joining?"

"Well... I don't particularly feel like spending my precious summer on learning how to drive."

"Even though it's a life skill? Even though you'll just spend that "precious summer" being a shut-in anyways?"

Ouch. She really called me out like that, huh? Seriously, just how much does this woman know about me? That was a deep cut.

"You might look average student on the surface, but even I can see through that facade very easily. Like I said before, Mikazuchi-san has told me lots of things about you, including the fact that you're capable of learning anything within a short amount of time. So for you, driving should be a breeze."

Well, for once, I couldn't disagree. One of my few good points was the fact I was quick at picking up new skills and adapting to my environment, both of which would give me an advantage in this position. Even so, I still didn't want to budge.

"...saying nice things about me won't make me want to join you, you know?"

"I'm aware, but I like praising people for their efforts, achievements, and accomplishments. You're brimming with talent, so I know you can do it. Especially with the instructor we've prepared for you."

Saionji gestured over to Minamoto, who threw up a peace sign. I raised an eyebrow.

"That's right, Takanori-san! It is I, Minamoto Kumi, Namie-sama's BFF, who will be your driving instructor!"

"What...?"

"Ha ha, are you surprised, Takanori-shounen? Unfortunately for you, I know what kind of person you are, so I've made it so you've got no choice in the matter but to learn. I've hired the best possible teacher for this sort of thing, so it should practically be impossible for you to fail."

"But... Minamoto-san? I wasn't expecting her of all people. No offence."

"A lot taken. But, since this is the first time you've heard about this, I'll forgive you this one time! After all, I don't look like the type to drive, do I?"

Minamoto laughed, pushing up her short brown hair. Looks like she had cut it since the last time I saw her. The red dye had faded out too since, revealing her natural hair colour.

"Well, you better not underestimate me Takanori-san, since I'm actually one of Japan's best under-18 racers! When I was young, my family lived in England for my dad's work, and during that time I picked up youth rally racing. I got really good and won the F4 Championship there three times, back to back to back! Then, when we moved back to Japan, I won the F4 Championship there twice! Needless to say, I'm pretty strong, don't you think?"

I will admit, it was impressive she was so consistent at winning. It seems Mikazuchi-sensei wasn't lying when he said he got the best of the best, as Minamoto might as well have been the best under-18 racer in Japan.

To be honest, the first time I met her, I didn't understand how she qualified for A Class. However, after hearing about her feats on the track, it suddenly made sense why she was so highly valued. Her skills as a racer was her bargaining chip to A.

"Takanori-san. I know you value freedom, so being forced to do things for others isn't your style, but I want you to look at the bigger picture here."

Saionji called out to me, looking at me with a serious face. I backed up slightly, nearly bumping into Chabashira-sensei.

"Your mentor and I have gone out of our way to set up and give you this massive opportunity to secure your place in a highly coveted project that many others would kill to be part of. We've put right in front of you all the resources necessary to participate, so all you need to do is put in the effort and apply yourself to everything that's being handed to you. We'll even take care of everything else that's tedious or boring so you can solely focus on just participating. If all of this being offered to you right now isn't enough to convince you to join, then I don't know what will."

"Eh, I can think of thing that could. Maybe if we say his mom will be there, he'll join straight away."

I sighed at Mikazuchi-sensei's crude joke, lowering my head.

"...Saionji-san. While I appreciate everything that you and Mikazuchi-sensei have done to make this as accessible as possible for me..."

Before I could finish, Saionji placed her hand under my chin and tilted my head up, forcing me to look at her.

In those few fleeting seconds, I held my breath.

My body was paralysed. My mind was entangled.

My gaze was eaten up by the clearness of her eyes.

Saionji had captured me.

"...I understand."

My heart pulsed as she smiled gently.

"Everyone, could you leave the room for awhile please? I'd like to talk to Takanori-san privately."

Saionji dismissed everyone else as she let go of me.

The first to leave was Shigaisoshi-sama, who was followed by Minamoto. Neither of them so much as even looked at me as they made their way out. Although, I couldn't help but feel like Shigaisoshi-sama looked back at me in shame before leaving.

Next was Anjou-sensei. As he walked past me, he glanced at me briefly, before whispering something.

"Hey. If your heart can't decide, then you should let your cards choose for you."

Chabashira-sensei watched Anjou-sensei leave before turning to me.

"Takanori-san... I know you're mostly logical, but please don't do what Anjou-kun suggested. If you really don't want to participate, you don't have to. Saionji-san and Mikazuchi-san already has a replacement ready to go in case you refuse until the bitter end. If they try do to force you, please just leave and come find me. I'll handle it."

"...thank you, sensei. Your words... are really reassuring to me."

In a rare occurrence, Chabashira-sensei smiled slightly. She shook her head.

"It's no big deal, Takanori-san. As long as your safe, then I'm happy."

"Still... you're always supporting me, no matter the circumstances. I hope... I hope I can repay you back someday for everything."

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Now, now, it's too soon to be saying such huge commitments. Wait until it actually happens, alright?"

"Ah, I feel like I still owe a lot to you anyways... but fine."

"Good. Please stay safe."

"I will."

With that, Chabashira-sensei took her leave. Mikazuchi-sensei chuckled, walking over to me.

"Heh. Chabashira-san worries about you a lot, you know? She might look like an ice queen on the outside, but inside she's a real softie."

"...yeah. I know. I'm grateful to her for that."

"In that case, try not to make so much trouble for her from now, yeah? I know I've been a bit forceful and meddlesome in making this all happen, but trust me when I say it's for your own good. You won't become strong enough to defeat Kaido if you waste away your summer doing nothing."

"I appreciate everything you're trying to do for me, Mikazuchi-sensei. And under normal circumstances, I'd be glad to accept this, but..."

Mikazuchi-sensei laughed.

"You don't gotta say it, I can already guess. All I'll say is you'll be in safe hands."

He patted me on the shoulder, making his way out. Before he did however, he stopped at the doorframe.

"Saionji-san, you alright with me standing just outside?"

"Leave properly like everyone else. If you eavesdrop, then Takanori-san is less likely to be honest with me."

"Ha ha, fine. Have fun dealing with her, Takanori-shounen!"

Mikazuchi-sensei grinned and left, shutting the door behind him.

All that remained was me and Saionji.