Chapter 0: Pilot

Location: Kyoto City Police Department in Kyoto, Japan

Date/Time: August 12, 2007; 2:02 PM

"I got busted for street racing again, and the racing didn't even happen on the streets last night. What kind of incompetent motherfuckers are these Japanese cops? Now because of them, I have to actually be one of them until my one-year probation is up. It isn't all bad, though, as the cops supplied me with handcuffs, a pistol, and a 2005 Honda NSX. I may as well get this over with. The quiet I stay, the better..."

Satoshi Ihara and Katsuko Oimikado, two officers of the newly formed Street Racing Syndicate, a division of the entire Japanese Street Racing Patrol, or JSRP, contained 20-year-old Hiromusi Matsudaira to Chief Kazutoshi Kobayashi for "presumably" street racing with 7 others in Kyotanabe. The other racers were not identified except for her and one other female driver, but Satoshi and Katsuko stopped the race before it began and apprehended the people involved. Hiromusi's car was a black 2005 Honda NSX, which she engine-swapped, tuned, and modded herself.

"Here's the suspect, Chief" said Katsuko. "Arrested on the grounds of illegal street racing."

Satoshi and Katsuko leave Hiromusi and Chief Kobayashi in the office.

"Another one" said Kobayashi with much displeasure. "They don't pay me enough to do this job."

"Quick question, chief" Hiromusi asked. "What kind of police department has the gall to literally step outside their boundaries, go into what may not have been a street race, and bust it without any undeniable proof?!"

"The kind that won't take any bullshit from the racers themselves" he answered. "This may just be your second impound, but you have already rose up to #2 on Japan's blacklist, missy."

"And you just put me there from the word "Go", I presume?"

"Look, as one of my new cops, you are to take out street racing in Japan permanently. In a few days or so, we will start locking down cities to assure that. This blacklist is a start."

Chief Kobayashi handed Hiromusi a list of the top ten notorious street racers in Japan. The list read like so:

Wakatsuki, Kenji

2003 Honda S2000

Warning Level: High (5)

Bounty: $401,000

Matsudaira, Hiromusi

2005 Honda NSX

Warning Level: Severe (6)

Bounty: $394,000

McCrea, Ronnie

1998 Toyota Supra MK IV

Warning Level: High (5)

Bounty: $383,000

Diaz, Isabel

2005 Mazda RX-8

Warning Level: High (5)

Bounty: $367,000

Hamamoto, Yoshio

1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R [R34]

Warning Level: High (5)

Bounty: $335,000

Kimura, Kasumi

2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi

Warning Level: Intermediate (4)

Bounty: $316,000

Nakazato, Kira

2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK 500

Warning Level: Mediocre (3)

Bounty: $297,000

Watanabe, Kanzeko

1995 Mazda RX-7 [FD3S]

Warning Level: Minimal (1)

Bounty: $266,000

James, Eugene

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII

Warning Level: Low (2)

Bounty: $219,000

Suzuki, Ryo

1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX

Warning Level: Minimal (1)

Bounty: $172,000

Hiromusi, though she didn't bother with the fact that her name was near the top of the blacklist, noticed Kanzeko's name all the way at the #8 spot. Her content mood had now transformed into an endless rage, for as it seemed, Kanzeko had defeated her the night before the busted race.

"Because if you decline my offer" said Chief Kobayashi, issuing another threat, "don't expect to get to your house anytime soon..."

"So... what's my first assignment?" Hiromusi asked, trapped with a difficult decision.

"Rumor has it that the race is going to go down again, this time in Downtown Tokyo. I need you to go there and see what's up."

ImportMachine – Chaos Komodo – Grand Tourer – Classic Throttle – Hiroshima Drift – Flaming Piston

Location: Streets of Downtown Tokyo

Date/Time: August 12, 2007; 10:19 PM

"Konoe? Konoe! KONOE!" screamed 19-year-old Kanzeko Watanabe, founder of the Nagasaki Yakuza, to one of her crew members, Toshiyuki Konoe. "I need you to go get Hiro from the JDM parking lot; there's something wrong with my FD's six-speed transmission!"

As Toshiyuki ran to Hiro Imadegawa, the crew's mechanic, both Kanzeko and her fabricator, Asuka Hiiragi, spotted a black 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX, driven by the founder of Central Kyoto's ImportMachine founder, Ryo Suzuki (half African-American, half Japanese). Among the crowd of spectators was a pink 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi, the driver being unknown at the time. It was the true atmosphere of the popular Japanese import scene. Showcasing of JDM cars (especially the engines), photography of the cars with models, and especially the conversations concerning them. And then, the night officially began, when Kanzeko, Ryo, Jun Yamashina (Fire Fox Nissan 180SX), Minoru Saionji (Insane Ninja Mazda RX-7), Honami Sato (Japanese Blaze Honda S2000), Takeo Shimizu (Poison Flame Mazda RX-8), Mai Inokuma (Alien Blade Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX), and Shoda Minase (Setsuna V3 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII) began the race from Downtown Tokyo to Kyotanabe. In the first segment, Kanzeko had a large lead over the pack, with Ryo in 2nd, and Mai in 3rd. Shoda Minase, who was originally 4th, totaled his Lancer Evo into traffic, along with Takeo, who also had a blown engine. Halfway to Kyotanabe on the Shuto Expressway, Kanzeko remained in the lead, but Ryo closed the gap between himself and Kanzeko. Honami Sato caught up with Ryo and left both Mai Inokuma and Minoru Saionji in the dust. Coming to Kyotanabe, the Yakuza and Ryo's friends, Kamikaze "Kami" Nakamura and Takeshi Hiroyori gathered near the finish line.

Coming in first was Kanzeko Watanabe, getting $8,000 from the race. Honami Sato, having come immeasurably close to passing Kanzeko, cried, even though the second place prize was $4,000. Ryo, being third, earned $2,000, whereas the fourth place racer, Minoru Saionji, only took $1,000. About three minutes later Mai Inokuma and Jun Yamashina came in 5th and 6th, both going empty handed.

"Another small fish out of his depth" said Kanzeko, rubbing her spoils in Ryo's face bluntly. "It seems that my Yakuza owns this part of Tokyo now. Now get--"

"COPS! COPS!" Toshiyuki yelled, panicking. "WE'VE GOT COPS! THEY'RE COMING!"

"Konoe?!" she screamed. She quickly got back in her RX-7 and sped off, as well as most of the racers and spectators. Ryo did manage to peel out, but by then Hiromusi arrived and stopped him with the support of two other cops. Kami and Takeshi quickly disappeared to avoid the same mistake Ryo made.

Later that night, Kanzeko put her newly acquired Tokyo territory and half her winnings down against the founder of Chaos Komodo, Kenji Wakatsuki. Unfortunately, she lost and was forced back to Nagasaki. This was only the beginning of what was to come. The street racing war had thus unfolded in the blink of an eye.