HIGHSPEED Étoile

A new form of energy called HyPER gives rise to a new racing series, NEX Race, where human drivers and AI compete at speeds exceeding 500 kph. Five years later, the season finale is contested by the undisputed champ and the Queen of the race track.

It's the first race of a new season, and rookie Rin Rindo is looking to make an impression in her first ever race, but she quickly finds out that racing cars in real life isn't quite the same as competing in a video game.

After her first race in the category ended in disqualification, it's clear to Rin that she has a lot to learn if she wants to compete with the big guns in the NEX Race series.

Attending gala events and Q&A sessions is part and parcel of being a racing driver, but when Rin is a no-show at one such event, her fellow drivers wonder where she might be. Curiouser still is the fact that the King is also missing...

The NEX Race drivers descend on Monaco to do battle on its narrow, twisty streets. Rin makes it onto the starting grid after failing to do so at the two previous events, but can she keep it out of the barriers and prove she belongs in this series?

It's finally the summer break, marking the halfway point of the season, but if Rin and her fellow drivers thought they could spend the time relaxing, they have another thing coming.