The Kaido Circuit's 13 Devils have been defeated again, and in the aftermath Speed King Motoya Iwasaki has vanished without explanation. His disappearance creates a vacuum that draws drivers from across Japan to Tokyo, all competing for the title he left behind. The player is Iwasaki's best friend, working through the ranks—Bloodhound, Midnight Cinderella, Platinum Prince, Skull Bullet's crew, and eventually the Phantom 9—while piecing together what happened to Iwasaki. The truth, revealed by Bloodhound, is quieter than the racing: Iwasaki's girlfriend died while he was away, and the guilt broke him.