MF GHOST (MFゴースト)

How was your summer vacation?

It was fun. I made lots of memories.

Well, that's good.

High school summer vacations are special, after all.

So, any new developments with him?

Well, uh, I don't know if I'd go that far, but...

I feel like we're a lot closer than we were before the summer.

That sure sounds like a development to me.

Oh. I guess you're right.

Y'know, Kyoko-san, there's actually something new to worry about.

I shouldn't talk about it here, but will you hear me out some other time?

MF Ghost

We've installed a new system for the suspension.

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The Red Bullet

Broadly speaking, the four struts now have little motors attached.

So they automatically loosen or harden depending on the amount of g-force.

You can alter settings from inside the car,

but the specifics are a trade secret for Okuyama-san,

so we shouldn't need to mess with them.

Wow. Active suspension?

Since it'll handle the roll and pitch now,

the car should be stabler than ever at racing speeds.

That's amazing. I thought I heard a faint noise from a motor.

I never imagined the 86 would be upgraded with this kind of technology.

Yo. I'm here again, Kanata.

Aiba-senpai.

You don't mind being in my booth?

That's the whole reason I'm here.

That's wonderful. I'll feel much braver with you watching.

What a relief. They made up before I even knew it.

To all our fans out there, it's me, Tanaka Yoji, your commentator.

The long-awaited fifth day of qualifying has arrived.

Today sees the run of a driver

who's risen to become one of the Godly Fifteen's top three in his rookie year.

I don't even need to say his name, since I'm sure you all know who I mean.

His arrival behind the wheel has been like a sudden gust of wind,

and that wind has become a storm that threatens to shatter MFG's status quo.

In the driver popularity poll,

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Name

Age

years old

Height

Nationality

Japan

Car

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m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100

Name

Age

years old

Height

Nationality

Japan

Car

he came out top, ahead of both Sawatari and Aiba.

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m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100

Name

Age

years old

Height

Nationality

Great Britain

Car

Driving an updated bright red Toyota 86,

here comes the speed god born in England: Katagiri Kanata!

And with the world's expectations on his back, he takes to the Double Lane.

The tracking drone is in position behind the 86. Only 15 seconds to go.

For some reason, I'm more embarrassed

about Kanata seeing me dressed like this now that he knows it's me.

So it's you out there today, huh, Ren?

Oh, that's the Hachiman-sama charm I gave him.

I'm so happy. Good luck, Kanata. I love you.

Six. Five. Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Go!

And he's off! The red machine accelerates ferociously away.

Katagiri Kanata's attempt is underway.

There's only one thing on this driver's mind.

Sawatari Koki's otherworldly performance when he set his super record.

Can he match it?

This genius sprinter will have to reach new heights to do so!

His speed is starting to ratchet up as he negotiates the toll roads of Sector 1.

Those aero changes are making a difference.

Despite the speed, the chassis is looking real steady.

This is gonna be damn fast.

Unless he screws up at some point, this is gonna be one amazing lap time.

And we already have an attention flag!

The high-speed S-curve by Benten Rock is coming up, preceded by the Hydro Trap.

The waterfall at the side of the course becomes a river as it crosses the road.

The force of the water when you hit it is pretty intense.

If you haven't built up your neck muscles, you can injure it easily.

I can't feel the grip, which means I'm skating on top of the water.

I'm hydroplaning.

He's through!

Testing the limits of his now-wet tires, he blitzes past Benten Rock!

We don't have to worry too much here. Kanata's a cut above in wet conditions.

He sure proved that when it rained at Ashinoko.

The 86 is maintaining a good pace.

It goes without saying that he's quicker than last year's lap record.

Plus, he's within a tenth of the 4 car's super record.

It's no exaggeration to say he's going at nearly the same pace.

The back half of Sector 1 has some of the highest average speeds for the course.

And someone on Kanata's level will exit that corner doing 150 kmph, easy.

Before the next corner, the 86's turbo oughta get it close to 200 kmph.

The roads may not be bolt straight, but you keep picking up speed.

People talk about the high average speed of Double Lane,

but it doesn't have a proper straight on it.

That's what makes it tricky.

I can feel the impact being gently absorbed whenever I hit a bump.

The car tightens up in response to downward force.

These reaction speeds are sublime, too.

Incredible work, Mister Okuyama.

And the less the car's posture shifts, the better I can use the tires.

This will be an incredible weapon in a street racing sport like MFG.

The 86 car sings its way through this high-speed section.

And the gap to the 4 car's record is still only marginal.

The attention flag is still there.

Soon, Sector 1 by the seaside will end,

and we'll be into the mountains of Sector 2.

And this blistering dead heat continues!

The mountain section is the scary part.

The average speed stays high, but the road conditions get worse and worse.

Unlike the toll roads, these are roads people work and live on.

If you take a corner doing over 150 kmph and hit a pothole,

your control goes right out the window.

I doubt even guys like Kanata and Sawatari can redline it around here.

Are Sawatari Koki and Katagiri Kanata driving in another dimension?

Their battle for supremacy continues, leaving all others in their dust.

The 86 is now a hundredth quicker than the record!

And awaiting Katagiri Kanata on his astonishing run...

There were earthquakes following the volcanic eruption,

and Road 135 was submerged by a sudden swell of groundwater,

producing a waterfall that's one of two natural hazards on Double Lane.

First, there's the Hydro Trap down by the sea,

and up here in the mountains...

Looming large after this high-speed left,

it's Double Lane's famed Jumping Spot.

Dude got some serious air.

I think he was right on the edge of the landing area.

This is part of what makes Kanata so amazing.

That's his first time landing Double Lane's jump, but he knew just what to do.

It's hard for people who haven't done it before to imagine how scary it is.

At the top of the jump, you're even higher than the fence,

and it makes you feel like you're about to crash into Sagami Bay.

And with a cliff to your left,

you subconsciously drift to the rightmost edge of the jumping-off point.

But Kanata went as far left as he could.

Where does such a gentle-looking dude get the balls for this stuff?

The traffic lights mark the start of Sector 3.

Up to this point, he's matching the time of Sawatari in the 4.

The upcoming bumpy stretch has tested the footwork of many an MFG racer.

But Katagiri Kanata shows no hesitation.

While the bumps affect his racing line, he compensates with incredible smoothness.

This driver is in total control of his car.

What do you think, Shun? About Kanata's driving.

What do you mean? It's the same as usual.

Or maybe even a little better?

That's what I thought.

By weaponizing the aero, the 86 can fight harder.

And Kanata can feel that.

But despite that, since entering Sector 3,

he's fallen behind the 4 car's pace.

At this late stage, there's a slight difference in their times.

He still has an attention flag, but in spite of that,

the 4 car is now ahead by three-hundredths of a second!

There's not much of the lap left. As he approaches the finish line...

Y'know, in all the other races, whenever Kanata had any issues,

it was due to the car being underpowered,

causing him to fall behind the competition as a result.

But I don't think that's why Sawatari has the edge right now.

I don't think I've seen a situation where he's simply been outperformed.

Well, this sport is still a competition between humans.

At the highest levels, athletes outperform each other

from one moment to the next due to slight changes in conditions.

Experience and stuff also plays a role.

Maybe it boils down to the fact Sawatari has been here twice before

whereas this is Kanata's first time tackling this course.

The 86 is nearly at the finish line...

And...

There it is!

He wasn't able to break the new course record.

He qualifies in second provisionally.

He was a scant 0.32 seconds behind Sawatari in the 4 car.

And I'm sure I don't need to explain how incredible that is.

MF Ghost.

MF Ghost.

I don't get Sawatari and Katagiri.