Ep. 23: Arata and Shinobu clash in Class A while Taichi secures promotion to Class A in Class B.
During the Class A semi-finals, Arata and Shinobu defeat Emuro and Megumu respectively. Sakurazawa discovers Chihaya sleeping in the hallway before the finals begin. The Class A final pits Arata against Shinobu, while Taichi faces Rion in Class B, with Komano competing in Class C within the same room. Chihaya struggles to decide whether to support Taichi and Komano or watch Arata and Shinobu. Although Taichi is surprised by her presence, he recalls her desire for him to reach Class A. Shinobu dominates the start of her match, but Arata recovers by remembering past victories. Taichi initially attempts to win quickly so Chihaya can view the other final, but realizes speed is insufficient against Rion. By focusing on accuracy as if playing Chihaya, Taichi wins the Class B tournament and achieves promotion to Class A.
Episodes
- Ep. 19 · Mizusawa Wins Tournament as Chihaya Reflects on Teamwork and Arata
- Ep. 20 · Chihaya plays with her left hand after injury while Arata sets his sights on Tokyo
- Ep. 21 · Arata and Shinobu advance while Chihaya adapts her strategy for upcoming matches
- Ep. 22 · Sakurazawa discovers Chihaya's injury while Shinobu dominates their match and Taichi defeats Retro.
- Ep. 23 · Arata and Shinobu clash in Class A while Taichi secures promotion to Class A in Class B.
- Ep. 24 · Arata defeats Shinobu in a fever-stricken Class A final match
- Ep. 25 · Chihaya undergoes surgery for enchondromatosis while the Mizusawa club attends a karuta camp in Fujisaki.