This is the one that makes you go back and rewatch every cold thing Akira ever said. Twenty-odd minutes set a full year before Ren ever shows up in Kaminohara, and it spends them on the kid who moved down from Sendai carrying nothing but a grudge, because his sister got hurt in an MS battle and somebody has to pay for it. The tell is small and perfect: a lost Haruma asks for directions, and the calculating loner just quietly gives them. Then Haruma watches him fight and clocks the thing nobody else noticed, that Akira wins by reading his opponent's attacks before they land, and an idea starts forming. "They deserve better. Someone better than me" lands different when you already know who he becomes. Short, cold, and it rewires the main series.

Set one year before Ren comes to Kaminohara, this special centers on Akira, who has moved there from Sendai with a single aim: revenge. The injuries his sister suffered in a Monster Strike battle drive his desire for vengeance. When he gives a lost Haruma directions, he shows a caring side that is rare for such a cold, calculating teen. Haruma watches Akira's violent battles and notices that he fights by anticipating his enemies' attacks. Haruma then suggests to his teammates, Aoi and Minami, that Akira join them. Surprised and reluctant, the two still choose to trust Haruma, who has long kept the team's fourth spot open for the right person.