The individual competition for the Matsugorou Cup begins, and Ryuugen has come from Aomori to assess Setsu's abilities, adding more pressure for Setsu to perform. As Setsu prepares, he is informed that Souichi and Mai are both adopted and are not blood-related. Meanwhile, Umeko and Ryuugen have a heated conversation as Ryuugen wants Setsu to inherit the Kamiki school much to Umeko's disapproval. Ushio performs and despite poor posture and an unconventional playing style, the crowd feeds off his energy. Kaji then performs and after a strong start, a string on his shamisen snaps.