Original subtitles

What are you doing?

Ow.

Image training.

That's a new way of doing it.

You, too?

NEX Race: a new world of race cars built with next-gen power.

The girl dances on a stage that exceeds 500 kph.

Her goal: to become the étoile of the circuit.

NEX Race: Round 6.

Here we are in historic Monaco.

Today's weather is sunny, with a high of 20.9 degrees expected.

The track temp is 43.2 degrees.

The track is 7,677 meters in length, and the drivers will complete 42 laps of it.

Here's what to look out for.

Just look at all those corners!

Turn 10

Wow. How many are there?

Turn 14

Turn 6

There are 27 in total. Also, each corner has a name.

Turn 17

Turn 4

Turn 19

How interesting! I'll ask Chris-san about them later.

Turn 23

Turn 26

Turn 27

There are some hard braking zones,

so even skilled drivers might crash if they get it wrong.

The number one spot for overtaking is in the tunnel.

Due to the limited number of straights, this is the best place to battle it out.

But if you mistime your braking at the exit, it'll result in a big mess.

You're being wicked again.

Turn 1

Turn 19

Turn 26

Turn 27

Due to the track's traits, it'll be hard to discern differences in car performance.

So you mean victory will come down solely to the skill of the driver?

Precisely.

This is a circuit that tests a driver's skill, experience, and above all, their courage!

And now, back to you.

Sumire-chan! Chris-san!

Listen Carefully

Thank you, Primas.

The cars are all lined up on the grid.

A total of 12 drivers made it through qualifying into the race.

It appears it was mostly AI drivers that didn't make it in.

Youran shocked the crowd by putting her car in second.

It's the first time the Queen has been outdone this season.

It was indeed a surprise. But the return of Rin Rindo was also a shock.

I feel like this race will have plenty of unexpected twists.

Youran had a slow start and the Queen slipped through.

The nerves must have gotten to her.

With the placings swapping about from the off,

we now approach the highlight of this track.

Also known as "L'église," the entry is narrow and it's a hot spot for accidents.

The driver's courage is tested here.

Woohoo.

I can still get through.

Saved.

I feel like I'm getting better at that sort of thing.

Rin Rindo made contact with Kanata, but she managed to recover.

That was right on the limit from Kanata.

I like her style.

The King has been building a gap on this first lap.

That's the perfect line.

The cars behind are all lined up.

They're just keeping an eye on things.

It was a setup.

It's hard to read Sophia.

Kanata's targeting Towa in Turn 17.

Known as "Plage," if you're not careful here, you'll find yourself dead last.

Kanata overtakes into the chicane.

It's true what they say: Whoever controls "Modifié," controls Monaco.

I can't! I can't! I can't! I can't! I can't!

Safe!

It's lap three, and Revol Burst is finally permitted.

It won't be easy to use.

Navigating all those corners wears down the tires, after all.

Rin Rindo is in eighth. She's got good pace.

I hope she has an issue-free run to the finish.

The King's line... I'm gonna try it!

Kanata has caught Sophia.

Playing it that way, huh?

I can still get through.

More!

Ah, we're gonna crash...

Not.

Whoa!

Possible collision.

Alley-oop!

Please follow the safety car.

The driver is safe.

Thank goodness.

Due to the location of the crash, the pits are closed.

There's no change in the positions.

Looks like she's got her eye in now.

Half of that is thanks to the machines.

If her own power comes out to play, she can go even further.

The race resumes.

In a fierce battle since the start, Youran's and Sophia's tires are showing wear.

The inability to pit earlier has taken a toll.

Youran makes a pit stop.

This means Sophia will also...

Hm? Apparently not.

We really can't read Sophia.

A crash for Melissa!

The safety car comes out.

Everyone's opting to pit.

Oh, Richard's double-stacking.

Guess that's inevitable since both of the team's cars were close on track.

I'm making some setup changes.

Please do.

Rin, how are you doing?

This is rough!

Whoever designed this track needs to go to an evaluation meeting.

A win here is the equivalent of three wins elsewhere. That's how hard this place is.

What? I get triple points?

No, it doesn't work like that.

Aw, man.

View today as every second you survive, you're gaining experience.

Even if you don't win today, you will next time.

But I wanna win today, too.

If you go gung-ho and get disqualified, you'll be last again.

I don't wanna be last! Safety first!

So she won't put up a fight?

Rin's in a growth period right now.

If she can survive this circuit, she'll be a great asset.

I see.

Passing the King in her debut race was quite a sight.

If only she hadn't been so slow in the other races.

I can only apologize.

How is it going today?

We naturally go into every race anticipating to win it.

That's how it should be.

I expect to see my company's car displayed there.

Of course.

Ugh.

Someone important?

The owner's here.

Rin, do you want to win?

Huh? Like I told you...

I want to win today, too.

In fact, I aim to win every race.

Right. You're so right.

But I'll be blunt. That's impossible in your current state.

Meanie!

But with you two...

"Two"?

Listen carefully and intently to her voice.

When you approach the next corner, lessen your acceleration by 20%.

You may proceed with your comeback.

Wait, your voice is loud now!

The race resumes once more.

Two cars have crashed out, leaving only 10 cars in the race.

Everyone's made a pit stop after starting on the hards.

The King and the Queen overtake Yayoi in tandem.

They know how to keep the heat in their tires.

They'll start picking up the pace from here.

It's taken the King and the Queen just one lap to regain the top spots.

There's a crack on the inside up ahead, so keep two wheels hugging the outside.

Aye, aye, sir!

This is still too soon.

She doesn't have a handle on her own driving, so all the advice might overwhelm her.

Well, ami's words are absolute, after all.

Y'know, ami-chan, it's not just your volume. You're talking a lot more today.

Accelerate at 80%.

Okay!

Beware poor visibility on exiting the tunnel.

Okey-dokey!

Is it just me, or am I going faster?

Adjustments were made to your setup during your pit stop earlier.

As you are now, you should find it easier this way.

Yeah, I am. I feel like I've scratched a big itch.

This is amazing.

Indeed.

This is my chance!

Your posture is poor. Like this, you lack precision control.

Oh, my bad.

You are pushing too hard.

Okay!

Drive over the guttering to pass on this corner.

This is looking good.

Full speed in the tunnel.

Yahoo!

Amazing work from Rin Rindo. She's risen two places.

She's like a completely different driver.

Perhaps her setup was changed during her pit stop earlier?

So close.

I seriously can't let my guard down.

It looks like people's tires are starting to fade.

It may be time to change them. Right, Chris-san?

It would. But if they get the timing wrong, it'll be hard to recover lost positions.

I'm gonna pass one more car.

It is still too distant.

Don't give up until you've tried!

Just a little more!

We're halfway through the race. There will be other chances.

Oh, fine.

V-ZEN's Rin Rindo's is putting on quite the show.

She seems much more stable now.

Maybe this difficult track is good experience for her.

Perhaps this is showing her growth as a rookie?

The real answer is our AI.

But doesn't it count as cheating? It's like having a co-driver in the car.

We're following the regulations!

Uh, okay then.

We're halfway through the race and the King is in first.

There's a massive gap back to the Queen in second.

Taking the perfect line, and being totally perfect.

This is the ideal track for the King, who's capable of this kind of driving.

In this situation, it will be especially hard to catch him.

Yayoi's catching up.

Are Towa's hard tires not suitable for this track? Her speed's just not there.

Youran pits.

She has probably decided the tires won't go to the end.

This is a sensible decision, but a damaging one.

Richard-san's just up ahead!

Aren't I amazing? Praise me! Praise me!

Only if you manage to pass him.

I'll win that praise, then!

Your posture is poor.

Oh, sorry.

This side.

Aw, I miscalculated.

Oh?

Found you, Sophia-san.

You've made it this far up already? Amazing.

After her tire switch, Youran is climbing the leaderboard.

She's on a good run, but it's a little late to aim for the top spot now.

Three laps remain. The King is in the lead and there's a huge gap to second and below.

At this rate, even the Queen with her skill won't turn it around.

I can't see the King making a mistake at this point, either.

Those places are decided.

In that case, let's focus on third and below.

The Queen's Shield, Richard, is in third, then it's Sophia,

then to our surprise, Rin Rindo is right behind them.

"To our surprise"? Bah!

Is it time?

Not yet. Stay.

Woof!

They are wary of you. I will start a timer for you.

Woof, woof!

You know what? This is pretty fun. It's like playing co-op.

If you wish to make friends, I recommend finding some real humans.

My job is to support you so that you win.

You're so chill, ami-chan.

Rin, I have a suggestion to win.

Oh? Okay, hit me. I'm up for anything.

In that case...

What's this?

Rin Rindo's making some good moves again.

Little by little, she's closing the gap to Sophia.

You're right. I wonder what kind of guidance she's been given.

Hey, ami-chan, you know how you told me to do as I please? Is this okay?

Yes. The distance to Sophia is reducing.

Seriously?

More to the point, why did you stop partway?

I felt like an idiot.

Which would you rather be: an idiot or an also-ran?

Rin, what is your mission?

To win, even if I have to be an idiot!

Then, I shall leave it to you.

Stabilizer in use. Adjust your posture.

Revol Burst!

Vroom, vroom!

I'll get you next time.

Oh? Uh...

Hm?

I look forward to it.

W-Wait. Y-You've got it wrong.

So that's Rin Rindo, huh?

So how's Rin?

Well, mentally, she's a top driver.

All that's left is for her technique to catch up.

It just so happens it's the end of the season. As promised, we'll go with the flow.

I'm talking about training.

Hey, it's me. I've got a little favor to ask.

Man, I stood out in a weird way again.

Want some?

Yeah.

I get it. I wanted to at least fix my makeup first.

That's your focus?

Of course.

Well, anyway, there's no need to be so down.

What makes you say that?

There's one more race, then the season's over. After that, everyone'll forget.

You're right!

But that makes me sad, too.

Well, which do you prefer?

A girl's heart is complicated.

You two sure have that in common.

You sure are chummy.

Fifth place. Fifth. Fifth.

Fifth.

Why?

It's the off-season!

How we spend our day off depends on my junior's performance.

We can't just have fun?

I don't have time for that.

Youran, you're so cool!

Next time on HIGH SPEED Étoile: "Backmarker."

Backmarker

But I still wanna have fun!

Name: Richard Parker Team: Arianrhod Grand Prix (AGP)

Illustration: Takuya Fujima