Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 233: Arc 4, Act II, - 78: Test Drive

"So, we just put in the keys," Hotaru read the manual.

Daiyu put the keys into the ignition with a grin.

"Then pull on the choke twice; depending on the coldness of the engine. Some engines like to be choked more," Hotaru read with a brow raised.

"Hmm... Completely cold!"

"Asobi, please don’t put your hand on the engine..." Jotou stood furthest away.

"It was parked here since last night. Most of the condition of the car was already checked, we just need to start it up. I believe three or four chokes will do," Feyan examined the manual.

"Got it," Fumeko stood at the front of the car’s radiator, pushing her finger into the choke wire.

"Hang on, hang on, hang on! I’m not finished!" Hotaru shouted with a pant.

Fumeko’s eyes had glazed over, "Calm down, I’ve just got my finger in it wolfy, what do I need to do?"

"The instructions’re a bit messy... Okay, do you see the crank thing there?"

Fumeko looked to the crank at the centre of the engine, poking out the front, "This one?" she placed her right hand on it.

"Okay, you pull the choke then lift the lever clockwise till two o’clock. That’s what you’re supposed to be choking, not the choke... These terms are all over the place...

Don’t let go of the choke and lift the crank three or four times. Let go after reaching the two o’ clock position then start again. Once you’re finished, crank it all the way till the end and let go of both."

"Is that everything?" Fumeko stared.

"Yes..." Hotaru pursed her lips as her ears fell, "Please be very, VERY careful, it says there’s a risk it could break your wrist or even arm..."

Fumeko paused, "Excuse me?"

"You need a lot of strength Meko! You can do it!" Asobi cheered.

A sweat went down the brunette’s brow. "You’ve had worse injuries," Jotou yelled over softly.

"Shut it! Uh... I know that I can easily do this, but Arabella...? Ehe..."

Arabella rolled her eyes and strode forward. "Maybe you should’ve been here, I could’ve pulled it," Daiyu stuck her head out the door.

Fumeko held the choke while Arabella pushed Fumeko to the side, both of them standing in the same space. Fumeko placed her leg in between Arabella’s to assert dominance.

Arabella looked back with a side-eye. "I asked you to help, not take my place."

Arabella sighed and held the crank and followed the instruction. She winced, tugging the crank up once then twice. Each time felt like a puff of liquid was pressurized within the mechanism till four pulls were done.

Arabella shifted aside with a huff, the crank falling all the way before Fumeko let go of the choke.

"Put the spark lever up, it’s on the right of the steering wheel."

Daiyu grabbed the lever sitting in neutral and pulled the metal up, "Got it."

"Open the throttle a little, left side of the steering."

"Done," Daiyu twisted the lever.

"Make sure the break is pulled and turn on the ignition to battery start the car."

Daiyu checked the long lever next to her foot, in the far back position marked ’B’ for brake. Then she twisted the key to start. "Is it supposed to be starting, it’s not making any sound..."

"I think that was for the battery? Because you also need to turn the crank again, but make sure it’s your left hand. The engine will put up a bit of a fight- What’s that even mean!?" Hotaru reread.

"I think it means the engine will start up and kick the crank back..." Fumeko slowly stepped away. She noticed Asobi still by the engine and pulled her away...

"Why’re you walking away like it’s gonna explode Fumes...?" Daiyu half-closed her right eye.

"There’s a reason nobody else’s in the car psychopath," Jotou softly yelled over.

"Oh will you shut the hell up!? It’s not gonna explode smart-ass!"

"We’ll see," she softly yelled back.

"Maybe you should step outside my lady, the process does not require anyone to be seated..."

Daiyu grumpily sat up and placed her elbows to the side, widening her legs across the car floor. With tightened lips and uncaring eyes, "Nope, sittin’ right here. Come on Ara, pull the lever."

"It’s alright," Hotaru whispered to Feyan, "We’ll be able to heal her."

Feyan bobbed his head and exhaled.

"Hopefully..."

Feyan’s body tensed and froze as he held his breath.

Arabella shook her head and held the crank with her left hand. She gave a look to Daiyu.

"Ready," Daiyu gave a thumbs up.

"Push the crank inwards and then do the same thing you did before."

Arabella pushed in the crank and did the same thing as she did before... Except this time she winced, feeling a little more oomph was needed. She held onto the side of the car and pulled with all her might!

’And so goes the legacy of the Undying Princess; cause of death: hand crank.’

"BR, BRrrrbbBBRRRRR!!!"

"AAHHH!- Oh." Fumeko screamed from beside Asobi, who tilted her head to the continuous noise.

"It’s really loud!" the magician plugged her ears. Hotaru’s ears covered themselves over her head as her tail spiked and her neck began to twist in disturbance.

Arabella stepped away, shaking her head to get used to the sudden burst of noise. "Not the most pleasant of things to hear in the morning..." Feyan replied. All the Royal Guard around the vicinity turned and stared.

"Daiyu! Advance the spark! Pull it back down!" Hotaru exclaimed over the engine.

"Gotcha!" Daiyu pull the lever down. "BRBRBRBR!!! BRbrBRRBRBRRR!R!!!RR!R" Even Daiyu gritted her teeth.

"ADJUST THE THROTTLE TO MAKE THE SOUND SMOOTHER!"

Daiyu twisted the lever and adjusted it up and down which seemed to make the sound go higher and lower. She went till there was a sweet spot, where the engine didn’t sound like constant gunfire at point blank range.

Hotaru’s ears pricked ever so slightly, "At least its tolerable..."

"See!? Have a little a trust in me will ya!?" Daiyu shouted over.

"It’s not you that I don’t trust," Jotou yelled over softly.

The car had successfully been start, the engine was roaring as everyone in the front of the palace could attest to and it was prepared to go.

"Well, what’re you all waiting for? Come on, let’s take this baby for a spin!"

They all gave hesitant gazes at each other... "Let’s go!" except Asobi of course who ran straight for the door and hopped into the back seat. Feyan followed shortly after.

"Jotou, front seat. You’re gonna see how good I am at driving."

The blonde walked over, "You just wanna see me scream when you screw up." Jotou pulled the door and go into the passenger seat with a sigh.

"Kinda, but I ain’t screwing up loser."

The others got into the back seats before Arabella paused, seeing the seats full. Arabella looked to Daiyu and shrugged. "No, no, you’re getting in here, I want you here," Daiyu ordered.

"Don’t worry!" Asobi grabbed Fumeko by the waist.

"Hey!"

Asobi sat the brunette on her lap, both sitting by the window, "See Meko? Now you can see outside too!"

"I was looking forward to this, now not so much," Fumeko grumbled.

"Welcome to the club," Jotou crossed her arms. Arabella looked to the princess... She nodded her head before getting into the seat next to Hotaru before shutting the door.

"Daiyu switch the key to the engine, side? I don’t know, you have to switch it back from battery I think," Hotaru squinted from behind.

"Oh, that’s what these symbols are?" Daiyu turned the key that made the car run on battery this whole time.

"We’re doomed."

"You can drive us back, alright loser? If it makes you feel safer," Daiyu rolled her eyes.

"If I wanted to feel safe, I wouldn’t be in this death machine," Jotou reached for a non-existent seatbelt... Only to realize she proved her point.

"Come on, how many car related deaths were in like, the twenties? That’s when the first cars were made, right?" Daiyu scrunched her face.

"I don’t know, but I do know one car related case in the year nine seven nine of this world which, happens exactly on this day."

"Oh stop being a dick and enjoy the ride."

"Can we go already!? This is getting uncomfortable," Fumeko spoke.

"Am I un-comfy?" Asobi leaned down and tried to shift her legs.

"I believe she means awkward Ms Asobi."

"Chu-chuck! BR!" The entire car jerked forward before Daiyu slammed on the brake pedal after shifting forward the break lever. Everyone in it lurched forward the same, Asobi making sure to hold tightly onto Fumeko.

Sweat began forming down the blonde’s temples and palms. "I believe in no gods and if there was I’d rather worship the devil.

Heaven or hell or wherever I end up next; let it be known that whatever possessions I have in this life, none of it goes to Daiyu upon my perishing."

"Would you like that signed?" Hotaru held the back of Jotou’s seat whilst Arabella held onto the door.

"We’re fine!" Daiyu groaned and lifted her foot off the break before she very gently pressed on the accelerator and the car began rolling forward.

Daiyu sat in the right side of the vehicle, unfamiliar to her, but hey, how hard could it be? "Where are we going again?" Asobi queried.

"Uh, into the city I guess?" like a snail, the car rounded the fountain till it met the gates. The concerned Royal Guard opened up the palace gates, signing off the princess; none of them holding a smile...

Daiyu pressed down the accelerator further, rumbling out the gates onto the smooth-ish pathway down the hill. The forest winds brushed past their ears, tuning out the sound of the engine gradually.

Every bird and critter in the vicinity got away in a dash. "Well, this is surprisingly pleasant," Feyan looked out the sides and back ahead. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Speak for yourself," Fumeko quaked double the amount Asobi was.

"I was..."

"You’re doing well so far," Jotou side-eyed.

"You sound like an old driving instructor who thinks people actually slow down at a yellow light."

"There’s no traffic lights and I think this car is older than a driving instructor..."

"Smart-ass."

"I understand this is not the latest model, but it is still one of the later ones," Feyan relayed.

"Silly Feyan, Jotou and Daiyu are from another world! They probably have cars that can fly faster than the stars!" Asobi replied.

"Hmph," Daiyu scoffed, "Flying cars. Yeah that never happened, but in our world cars are uh, not this slow... Not since like a century anyway."

"It was always a stupid concept," Jotou rolled her eyes.

"What was?" Hotaru queried.

"Flying cars. We already had them; they were called aeroplanes, jets, helicopters, whatever. A ’flying car’ was just the ideal of a normal car with wings."

"Yeah, but like, ya know a car that can fly, it’s different."

"Yeah, fictional. You wanna know how they made cars fly? They had to change the shape, change the tyres, put in gigantic engines capable of flight and a huge runway from Kria to Luxinor.

Good luck taking your four-wheeler off your driveway without crashing into another car zooming past with no direction or path."

"Well the tyres gotta hover up with quantum energy."

"You can’t just stick the word ’quantum’ into things and expect it to make sense."

"Isn’t the engine enough of a racket!?" Fumeko poked her head to the front.

"I don’t know," Daiyu looked to the speedometer going 30km per hour. "Is it?" she grinned to see the metre going till ninety.

"Uh, Daiyu, I’d advise against it," Hotaru’s ears folded.

Jotou scowled, "Don’t do it. This thing was clearly not made for that- Daiyu? Daiyu- NO-!"

Arabella had her head and arm out the window, her eyes completely shut. The birds that flew away, the creatures into the bushes, the engine, the chatter of friends, the tyres against the path...

A smile crept up her lips, enjoying the sounds and light shaking of the vehicle down the road. The sound of chatter was just that—chatter. She didn’t pick up what they were saying for once.

The low rumble, the sounds; a memory played in her mind. The same rumble, the same jumble of sounds... Much younger, within the corner of a building... "Sister, it will be fine."

How long had that voice not been heard? Those memories, felt so, bittersweet now. If only- Jotou’s exclamation made Arabella’s eyes jolt open.

Just as her eyes opened the entire car jerked forward and threw them all back into their seats. Daiyu laughed into the air as she floored it.

"OW!"

"Oww..."

Fumeko’s head slammed into Asobi’s. "Ngh!" Hotaru squished her tail into the seats, whilst Feyan held onto the bottom of the seat just in time.

Jotou held the car door, the seat, her legs widened across the entire floor with her head back. She peered to Daiyu, "PSYCHOPATH!!!!"

"WOO!!" Daiyu grinned from ear to ear while the speedometer kept going past forty, to fifty and sixty gradually. Within each minute a stronger gust of wind was brought through the windows.

"My lady, this car is not supposed to go past-"

The metre went past eighty and was reaching the limit of ninety as they made it into the edge of the City Centre. The outpost of guards who kept an eye on the exit and entrance widened their glances.

"PAAAAANNKK!!!" Daiyu gripped the horn to the side.

Most citizens tended not to hang around this area for there was not much reason to other than passing by. But those who did happen to pass by would see the ruby-black vehicle rushing down the street.

Fumeko held onto the car door and braced herself and Asobi, though she smiled much like Daiyu, held onto Fumeko as tightly as she could; perhaps in fear?

One hand grabbed the front seat, "Daiyu, slow down!" Hotaru bared her fangs, every fur spiking.

She chuckled to the redhead and took her foot off the pedal, "Alright, alright," she eased onto the break. The vehicle slowed down much faster than it seemed to speed up.

The forest cover overtop was gone, the people stood, stared and pointed till the car came to an eventual stop, "I’ll go slower in the city," Daiyu turned to check on everyone.

All their hairs harried by the wind to the sides, their bodies still rumbling lightly. Jotou huffed a breath before pulling the brake lever far, far back.

"Oh, thanks," Daiyu glanced back.

"That was, EXHILARATING!" Asobi still held onto Fumeko like glue.

"You get it!" Daiyu smiled before the scent of smoke and gas permeated the air with a light "Tsss......" coming from in front of her.

They all noticed the front of the engine smoking out the vents in grey fumes, the rumbling of the engine had stopped though Daiyu had not turned the key off... "I think we broke it."

"We!?" Fumeko glared.

"This... oh this was expensive..." Feyan shivered at the thought of repairs.

"I’m sure there’re tons of mechanics Daiyu, don’t worry," the blonde narrowed her glance.

"Yeah, Mehrab could totally fix it."

"I was being sarcastic."

If there was ever a time she was going to punch the person she’s meant to protect, this would be it... Arabella glared into the back of Daiyu’s head.

Arabella instead got off the car, going over to the nearby Royal Guard to make sure the public did not mob them. "Come on, let’s get this back to the palace, I don’t like it doing that," Hotaru sighed.

"And this time, let Jotou drive," Fumeko blinked to the side of the car.

Feyan held his mouth, realizing with bubbled eyes that he had to run out of the car immediately. He found a secluded enough corner...

As the sounds of the half-elf barfing barely caught onto their ears, Jotou and Daiyu went to the front of the engine. "No need to warm up, just start it," Jotou told.

"Go on, get into the seat and do all the lever shit," Daiyu shook her head. "It wasn’t THAT bad. Haven’t felt a rush like that in a while. Wanted to take a spin in the city, but nooo," she held the crank, much hotter to the touch.

She did it in the same motion Arabella did, while the onlookers saw the Undying Princess start up a car with a scrunched face. "BRFR...Rrrr.r.r.rTFF! CHufgffh TFhHddd..." The engine shut down again.

"That’s not a good sound," Hotaru’s ears pricked.

"Uh..." Daiyu tried again. "TFFFFffff!"

Jotou stuck her head out the side, forcing a smile with furrowed brows, "I love to say I TOLD you so!"