Hiraku struggles to turn his losing streak at the insei school around in time for the Young Lions Tournament, where he could have a chance to play against his rival, Go prodigy Akira Toya. But that's only three months away!

Sixth-grade Hikaru Shindo's discovery of a bloodstained game board leads to an encounter with the ghost of Go master Fujiwara-no-Sai and the formation of an unbeatable Go team.

The main round of the pro test has begun. Everyone's feeling the pressure, no one more so than Hikaru's friend Isumi, who has failed the test twice before. Fighting off his feelings of self-doubt, Isumi faces his next opponent, who turns out to be Hikaru. But a careless mistake lands the pair in an awkward position!

Hikaru faces the preliminary rounds of the pro test in which he must eliminate all opponents, including one who seems to know how to exploit Hikaru's weaknesses.

While practicing at Go salons, Hikaru mistakenly insults Suyong Hong, a twelve-year-old who is studying for the pro test in his native Korea. To settle their differences, they must play a grudge match.

"Since Sai's disappearance, Hikaru has given up go! Meanwhile, undefeated by his failure to pass the pro test, Isumi plays his heart out in China. His foreign training teaches him unique ways to handle the stress of mental challenges and competition. Upon his return, he asks Hikaru for a rematch! But how good will Hikaru's game be after such a long break--and without Sai?" -- from publisher's web site.