Challengers gather at the Master and Queen Match preliminaries, their sights set on reaching the ""endless peak."" Just as the first round is about to begin in the lone path to the Queen Match, Chihaya is struck by a feeling of anxiety she has never felt before. ""Did I really prepare?"" Meanwhile, Taichi's approach to karuta has changed greatly as a result of spending time with Master Suou. He then proposes an unexpected bet to Sudo at the tournament site, yet it's Chihaya who's shaken by this, unsure of Taichi's true intentions...! The one and only path to becoming Queen ends with a single loss. Chihaya now faces it with determination burning in her heart!