It's the 86!
The king, Beckenbauer, has just been usurped by a rookie!
Kanata's in front of Michael now? No way. What the heck?
How'd he get one over on that freak, Michael?
Regain your composure.
Take deep breaths to steady your pulse.
Humans need to be relaxed to perform at close to 100% of their ability.
This is just an additional objective. The end result won't change.
There's half the course to go on this final lap,
and the battle for first between the tricolor trio continues!
MF Ghost
Here's Aoi corner...
Their First Kiss
and out they come!
These three cars are all powerful, but will the 12 outdo the rest uphill?
I dunno what happened, but this is a big chance for me.
Good job, Kanata Rivington.
As long as you're in between us, I'm safe from Michael's attacks.
The 12 is pulling up alongside!
The two cars exit the corner together!
Hang in there, Kanata.
Two cars running parallel out of a corner slows both down.
That'll give me a chance to pull clear!
The 86 isn't giving this up without a fight!
They take the next corner side by side!
Neither is backing down!
Somehow, they enter a third corner still locked together!
And they both emerge...
still in parallel!
Now for the tight uphill section leading to the Unbalanced corner.
The brute strength of the 12 allows it to gradually nose ahead.
The 12 car now has the 86's front pinned down!
They swap positions again!
Time and again, we've seen Katagiri Kanata come out ahead in these situations,
but he's now up against the points leader, and Michael Beckenbauer is built different.
It's definitely the tires.
No second gear in the first half forced him to use up his fronts.
In particular, he's paying the price for pushing his lateral grip to the limit.
He'll have to switch to holding on to his current position now.
He's lost the weaponry he needs to duke it out with the leaders.
The one who benefited most from that intense dogfight
between the 86 and the 12 was the 4 car!
He's now a good 20 meters ahead of them.
He saw his chance and seized it.
Sawatari Koki's first win of the season may well be within his grasp!
You won't get away, Sawatari.
I tend not to push this hard,
but I'll show you what happens when I sprint for real.
Don't go so hard, Shun!
This isn't the best place to lean on the tires.
You need to work on locking in and save the big attack for the back straight!
Copy.
It's only gradual, but doesn't it seem like the 4 car is catching the 12?
And we're seeing the gap between the 86 and the 12 grow.
Katagiri Kanata appears to be struggling!
I can only think his tire wear is starting to hold him back.
I've still got grip on my rears,
but any lateral movement is gonna be rough on my front tires.
I won't give up until the very end,
but I know full well the pair in front of me...
won't leave me any openings.
Oh, my! The 12 car receives the attention flag!
Can you believe it, Akiyama-san? At a time like this, on the final lap?
You can almost feel the confidence fueling his choices.
And while I may not personally favor his conservative racing style...
...it's hard to argue with the results!
It looks like he's truly on another level!
He's gaining on me by the second,
even though I've been in qualifying mode to try to escape.
You're fast, Michael.
So damn fast, it gives me chills!
This is what I need to work on.
When I'm fully focused and going top speed, my breathing becomes erratic,
and my pulse gradually increases.
I'm still not on the level of the world's greatest drivers.
Here he comes. The gap between the pair is shrinking!
They enter the second hairpin turn!
And he's right with him!
The absolute king is back in contention!
On this back straight,
the 12 pulls into the 4's slipstream!
This may be the moment of truth!
I can't shake this bad feeling.
All I can do now is redline it and put total faith in my car.
I'm counting on you. Hang in there, A110!
The 86 seems unable to pick up the slipstream!
It's fair to say he's no longer in contention for the win at this point!
But who will win? When will the 12 car strike?
The 4 and the 12 head for City Hall corner at full throttle!
They're picking up speed!
I won't let you near the inside.
If you slip in there, I'm basically done for!
En garde, Sawatari.
City Hall corner will decide it!
And they slam on the brakes!
Around the outside?
Screw you, Michael. That's one option I'm gonna take away from you!
They're neck and neck as they emerge from City Hall corner!
It's a battle of wills and a battle of pride, and sparks are flying!
A high-speed cliffside turn...
then they dive into the tunnel!
The gap to the leading pair has suddenly shrunk.
I see. Driving side by side limits their lines, and their speed drops.
I'm not sure how this is gonna end now, Ogata-kun.
It has taken an interesting turn.
What do you mean?
We might just see a silver lining peeking out from the clouds.
Aw, crap.
The reason Michael took the outside line when it's so much tighter...
is because of this!
I've got no space.
And Kanata's right there,
making this the biggest blunder of my life.
And with the finish line in sight, the positions swap around again!
Beckenbauer takes the lead, Katagiri Kanata's in second,
and Sawatari Koki falls back to third!
A shocking turn of events. What a finale!
I don't think we've ever seen so many changes of position on a final lap before!
And now...
The checkered flag!
Points leader, Michael Beckenbauer, adds a third win to his current streak!
Next comes the rookie, Katagiri Kanata,
who grabs a second-place finish in just his third-ever race!
Kanata came second.
He did it!
He really did it! Kanata pulled it off!
Am I freakin' dreaming right now?
But talk about strong! The German cyborg warrior has proved his superior might!
The 4 and 86 fought ferociously,
but their ambitions were ultimately not enough.
I'm close enough to see the back of the 2 car.
But there's no sign of Katagiri Kanata.
Looks like I'm fifth in my first race. Not a bad result at all. And yet...
What is this? Why do I feel like such a pathetic loser?
Akaba in the 2 is fourth.
Moroboshi in the 885 rounds the final turn to finish fifth.
A little way behind him is Ishigami in the 1 car.
You're in his slipstream, Shun! Go for it!
You should have plenty of tire left!
Roger that!
More and more cars reach the line.
In seventh, it's Oishi in the 3.
In the 6 car, it's Yanagida.
Then Maezono in the 13.
And there seems to be some action behind them.
Look at this!
Two cars roar out of the tunnel next to each other!
It's Sakamoto in the 5, and Aiba in the 9.
They're side by side! And with these two, sparks are bound to fly!
Hell yeah! Get him, Aiba!
Don't chicken out! Floor it!
But I'm getting a feeling of déjà-vu from this scene.
The 9 on the right isn't on the racing line.
Idiot. Use your head a little.
Whoa! Two cars dive into a lane designed for just one!
And the first to cross the finish line is...
It's Aiba in the 9!
But he's been flagged.
That move is under review.
Akiyama-san, what's likely to happen with this?
I never imagined that could happen.
I doubt the governing committee envisioned it, either.
It could be an oversight on their part.
The course was set on the assumption two cars couldn't fit through there at once,
but we just saw that happen.
I'm really curious to see what the call is on it.
Katagiri.
Your car has passed scrutineering.
Your second place is confirmed. Congratulations.
Please be sure to attend to podium ceremony.
You get a congratulatory kiss from one of the Angels.
Did you want a particular girl?
No. No preference. Anyone's fine.
Did you hear? Katagiri-kun came second, and he doesn't have a preference.
So what happens now?
I think Uehara-san picks one of us at random.
Then, that means I've got a chance, too.
Yeah, I don't think so.
Actually, I've got a great idea.
Hey, Uehara-san.
What's up, Kyoko-chan?
If you'd like to reward me for four years as an Angel,
and everything I've contributed to MFG...
I'd like to make a request.
Hey, Kanata Rivington.
You probably don't know me, but...
No, I do.
Last autumn, we were in the same race in the Euro FE3 series.
You were in the driver briefings at Hockenheim and Paul Ricard, too.
Seriously? Damn, man. You've got one hell of a memory.
Number Seven.
Yes?
Regarding the ceremony, you'll want to stand next to second-placed Katagiri.
And you'll also give him his congratulatory kiss.
B-B-But... But... Kanata...
I mean, I heard Katagiri-san didn't have a preference?
That's right.
And when the driver has no preference, I make the call.
Good luck.
What do I do? I can't do this. No way!
Me? Kiss Kanata?
Wait. Hold up. Does this mean I'm allowed to kiss Kanata?
A round of applause for these drivers who battled it out and conquered Manazuru!
I haven't done this in a long time.
And after the champagne, the traditional...
...congratulatory kiss from the Angels.
I don't know about this. A kiss from Number Seven...
Aiba-senpai will be so mad at me.
Oh well.
Good job, me.
Congratulations, Kanata.
Huh?
That voice...
Thank you so much for saving me yesterday.
And I'm sorry, Kanata.
The fact that I'm an MFG Angel...
I should've told you sooner. I'm sorry.
Is it just me or does Kanata look in a state of shock?
This ain't cool. I never wanted to see Number Seven kiss Kanata, man.
Wait, that girl...
Excuse me.
I want to ask you something.
Here we go!
One of the MFG Drivers is finally hitting on me!
I'll be able to brag about this at my next mixer!
Sorry. You know I can't.
You and Number Seven are pretty close, right?
Huh?
Oh. So he's not hitting on me.
Would you happen to know her name?
Her name?
I'm pretty sure Number Seven's name is Ren-chan.
Ren-chan!
Ren. Written with the same kanji for "love" in "first love."
That's such a cute name for my future wife.
And it's beyond perfect for her.
Hey, Ogata.
As usual, you look like a whipped dog.
You'll never get any chicks.
That hurt. And mind your own business.
We're gonna have our usual wrap-up party at the usual place.
Make sure Kanata comes. Let's make this the best day ever.
See you there.
He seems weirdly upbeat.
Well, I guess the committee did okay his overtake just before the line.
Ogata-san, I just found out something mad.
MFG Angel Number Seven is actually Ren.
Excuse me? You realize there's a limit to how ridiculous a joke can be, Kanata?
I'm not being ridiculous. It's the truth.
I spoke to her at the ceremony, and I panicked when I heard her voice.
She really is Ren.
C'mon, man. How could you only realize that now after all this time?
You've been living together for three months already.
I don't think anyone in her family knows.
And she has a whole different vibe from Ren's usual one.
Anyway, I could point out you didn't notice, either.
You've known Ren since she was small, yet you had no idea.
Well...
I never figured that pampered princess would try to squeeze into that sexy getup.
The contrast between that and how pure she usually is...
It's enough to charm the pants off any guy.
That's your takeaway?
Ouch.
The pain's back.
Are you okay? Is it bad?
It is.
Let's get the MFG medical team to check it out. It's the fastest option.
No, I'd rather not.
If my injury becomes public knowledge, Ren will learn about it.
In that case, I know an orthopedic doctor in Odawara. Let's head there.
Hop in this side, Kanata.
I appreciate it, Ogata-san.
Good grief. It's not exactly the time to go celebrating.
I should probably call Shun to explain why we're not joining him.
I'm kind of relieved.
I'd feel awkward seeing Aiba-senpai's face today.
Why's that?
I mean...
He's head over heels for MFG Angel Number Seven.
Oh, yeah. So he is.
Ogata-san. What do you think I should do?
I dunno what to say. And I definitely don't think you should be asking me.
You'll have to ask yourself that.
How do you really feel about Ren-chan?
Ren is important to me.
She's family. She's like a little sister.
That's not what I mean. Can you see yourself being romantically interested in her?
I...
I can't answer that just out of the blue.
Aw, c'mon. It's so obvious, man.
It looks to me like you really love Ren-chan.
You might be out of this world behind the wheel, but the rest of the time,
you're more naive than most Japanese guys your age.
You're so weird.
The A110. You're a good car.
I don't think I could ask for a better partner.
But when it comes to racing and getting into dogfights,
Michael always seems to be one step ahead of me.
So I'm sorry.
Saying goodbye to a cute car is so much harder than saying goodbye to a girl.
I think I'm gonna cry.
Sana?
Ciao, Ko-kun. Whatcha up to?
What do you mean? The race just finished.
I know that. And I asked anyway.
Hey, Ko-kun. Can we hang out today?
I thought you said you were doing something today?
I don't care about that now. You're much more important to me, Ko-kun.
You're probably feeling down, right? I can tell.
And I know you tried your hardest in today's race.
So as a reward, I'm going to make you feel better.
See you soon. Let me know where you wanna meet up.
I'll make sure I wear some of that lingerie you like.
That girl. I figured she just had a cute face and personality to match,
but it turns out she's got an angelic, nurturing side, too.
What'd they say?
It's apparently a serious bruise. The bone's fine.
They said to apply compresses for a week and avoid moving my elbow too much.
I see. Well, that doesn't sound so bad.
Yeah. It should be relatively easy to deal with.
MFG will now be entering a 40-day long summer vacation.
On commentary, this has been MFG's walking encyclopedia, Tanaka Yoji...
...and Akiyama Wataru with the analysis.
See you next time from Odawara, Japan.
Next time, Turn 29: Grandma's Kei Truck.