Hikaru finally has to prove he belongs in the same room as Akira without Sai's ghost moves to fall back on. The preliminary tournament strips away every excuse, every shortcut, every safety net, what's left is just two kids who swore they'd reach the top together, now forced to climb alone. By the time Hikaru makes the team, you understand that his obsession with Akira was never about winning; it was about standing beside him as an equal.

Hikaru gets a phone call inviting him to the Japan/China/Korea Junior's Tournament, but there is a catch: he must first get through a preliminary tournament that decides Japan's three contestants. When he talks it over with Akira, he learns that Akira has already been picked and will skip the preliminaries. Hikaru resolves to stay away from Akira's Go Salon until he has earned a place on the team beside him. That goal proves harder than expected. He has to fight old friends for one of only two open spots, and a promising newcomer from the Kansai Go Institute may stand in his way as well. A one-episode special mixing sports competition with supernatural elements.