MF GHOST (MFゴースト)

Shun to booth!

Kanata's dropping like a lead balloon. What happened?

Katagiri Kanata seems to have lost second gear due to a technical issue.

You're kidding me.

It'd be one thing if Ogata was maintaining the car solo, but with Okuyama-san in their corner?

There's no way something so basic would get past him.

What the hell has happened to you, Kanata?

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Miraculous Comeback

Beckenbauer in the 12 is in the lead.

And Sawatari in the 4 car is right on his tail.

A bit further back is Akaba in the 2 car.

Koki to booth. Any movement from the 86?

You're asking about the 86 again?

It's falling further and further back. Currently in seventh.

It's no good. There's no sense in waiting if he's not coming.

Change of plan. I'll drag this German jerk out of first place myself!

The 2 was expected to lose more and more ground, but it seems to be holding steady.

Akaba-kun's pride is on the line.

Especially since lesser drivers have outperformed him both this year and last.

This race is bound to be more intense for him than for most of the other drivers.

He's a pretty emotional guy.

I can't let them get any further ahead of me.

But if I wear out my tires too quickly, there's no point in keeping up.

The downside to this much horsepower is the harder I push, the faster I eat up my tires.

Better to keep my weapons hidden and still sharp for now.

You won't get away.

Is that Yanagida?

Makes sense. You always do well on twisty roads like these.

Not that I'll let you past.

The Huracan's wide frame makes it perfect for blocking on these peninsula roads.

He's braking hard with his left foot while cornering?

Is that to make up for a lack of torque in third gear?

He's pumping the brakes with his left foot and has the gas pedal pinned with his right.

He's trying to maintain his speed while increasing the boost from the turbines.

Turbo lag has more or less been eliminated these days.

But I guess this stuff comes in handy in the right conditions.

I've never even considered how to drive without second gear.

It's practically the default gear when it comes to street racing.

Watching him like this is mesmerizing. Almost makes me regret having to pass him.

From here in the tower overlooking the Manazuru Peninsula,

we can see Kibune Shrine quietly looming.

Records say Minamoto no Yoritomo prayed here while raising an army for the Genpei War.

And it would seem...

we have our own army of modern warriors aboard steel steeds, roaring past Kibune Shrine!

Okay, a question for Marie-chan now that she's done.

What's your biggest worry at the moment?

I'm worried about how I can't seem to stop gaining weight.

I keep getting bigger.

Ah, yeah. I can see why you'd be worried about that.

What's the plan? Exercise? Dieting?

Kanata...

I've tried both approaches, but it's so hard. I can never keep it up for long.

Why couldn't I just tell him I was grateful?

And I'm so bad at dieting.

Can I really keep avoiding him like this?

I bet it mostly has to do with stress, so...

I think I wouldn't be lonely if I had a boyfriend, and that'd help me lose weight.

Any takers out there?

That was Marie-chan, who's always got her eye out for a special guy.

But quick word of advice:

If you come sixth or lower in the Fall poll, you're off the team, so good luck.

No way!

I kind of like a rounder figure, though.

What's wrong with having more to love?

Here's the battle for seventh.

A pair of Toyotas come tearing around Aoi corner.

The course gradually climbs uphill from here to Route 138!

And pouring the pressure on the 86 with a sheet of paper between them is the 885 car!

Aw, we're so screwed!

This whole uphill section's gotta to be the worst part of the course for Kanata.

Thinking back, I may have made the wrong call.

If he had a paddle shifter, or we'd switched to a Supra,

the injury to Katagiri-kun's elbow wouldn't be so much of a handicap.

He would've likely been...

locked in battle with the 12 and the 4 in the top group.

Booth to Sena.

It's about time you passed the 86! Stop goofing around!

This is a real masterclass he's putting on here.

What I'm learning will be worth it.

This isn't a classroom. If you finish in this position, the boss'll tear you a new one.

I hear you.

I'll overtake him at the T-Point corner up ahead. Over.

I'm going on ahead, brother.

And the 885 car pulls off a sweet overtake on the 86!

Is that the conclusion to the much-anticipated "battle of the rookies"?

I'd say Katagiri Kanata is putting up a great fight.

His cornering while left-foot braking shows remarkable adaptability,

and more than a few times, he's shown an intention to pass any cars that pass him.

That resilience and refusal to give up really reminds me of his mentor, Fujiwara Takumi.

You and the tragic genius, Fujiwara Takumi, are still in contact, right, Akiyama-san?

I sure am. When he was in Japan at the end of last year, we went for a meal.

Do you mind if I talk about Fujiwara for a bit?

By all means. Please go ahead.

I'm sure there are many MFG fans who'd love to hear about him.

Fujiwara Takumi gets called the "Tragic Rallyist."

But I don't think about him in those terms.

I guess he was unlucky with the accident that stopped him from making his mark on the WRC.

But I don't think that's enough to pigeonhole him as a tragic figure.

I think real happiness doesn't come from results, but the process itself.

Fujiwara-kun often came across as enigmatic, and you never quite knew what he was thinking,

But deep down... I guess you'd call them beliefs? Well, you could tell he held them very strongly.

When you consider he moved to England at 20,

with no backing or funds to speak of, it's really impressive.

He barely spoke any English, for that matter.

Definitely sounds reckless.

But I think his passion and his resoluteness in his beliefs won over his English audience.

He's the kind of man who mesmerizes spectators when he's behind the wheel.

And the way he pressed on towards his dream without looking back...

He seemed happy to me.

Still, how can another person judge if someone's happy or not to begin with?

The race of life continues until the day you die. And in that final moment, before it ends,

as long as you can say, "Yeah, I was happy," I don't think anything else matters.

Fujiwara Takumi is an eternal challenger. Even now, I consider him my number one rival.

He's the man I envy. The one who makes me think, "I'm not losing to you, damn it!"

How was Fujiwara when you saw him?

Oh, naturally, he's doing well.

I'm digressing a bit, but he actually got married last year in England.

Really?

Well, that is some surprise good news!

Could you tell us about the lucky lady?

Is she blonde?

She's Japanese, actually.

She's another athlete from Saitama who supported him during his rehab.

She's a celeb in her own right and wowed everyone in Japan's women's golf tour.

Are you talking about—

Y'know, we should probably drop the subject.

He might get mad if I say any more.

That actually reminds me of something he told me last year.

He said one of his students was a particularly unique driver...

...and he wanted him to experience a year in MFG.

He specified just a single year?

That's right.

I'd actually been thinking...

that Katagiri Kanata has become a pillar of MFG in such a short time.

I believe that in the foreseeable future,

he'd be a source of endless excitement for the world's MFG fans, myself included.

Now back to the race. We pick up the battle for sixth on the Midnight Straight.

The Toyota GR Supra is showing the kind of pace to put it on an equal footing

with the 500 horsepower BMW M4!

The rookie, Moroboshi, is closing the gap on Yanagida in the 6!

And they're coming up to the Peninsula's toughest corner, Eau Rouge!

I've got you. You're just prey.

Passing around the outside? Who do you think you are?

He makes his move around the outside!

I'm just ripping off Katagiri Kanata. And while I haven't got it fully figured out...

He's doing it! He pulls in front of the 6 car!

Akiyama-san, it looks like one of the star rookies is showing us what he's made of!

Next on his list is the 3 car!

While the 86 flounders, Moroboshi Sena is determined to strut his stuff!

Even Katagiri Kanata pales in comparison this time!

Screw you. You don't know what you're talking about.

If Kanata wasn't injured, this guy wouldn't be a patch on him.

I mean, he set a course record on the third day of qualifying.

If he was in good shape and could lap like that again...

My partner's a sprinting prodigy, damn it!

And here we have the 86 and the 13.