Fifth Stage - Act 2

The New Battlefield (新たなる戦場, Aratanaru senjō) is the second Act of Initial D Fifth Stage.

This episode features the battle between Keisuke Takahashi and Kobayakawa.

Synopsis
The first stage of Project D's Kanagawa expeditions is against Team 246: Satoshi Omiya and Kobayakawa. Although racing for their own pride, 246 are actually part of a grand plan initiated by Team Sidewinder's Go Hojo and Eiji Kubo. As the uphill race begins, Kobayakawa is about to be shown the true ability of Keisuke Takahashi.

Plot
While dealing with a timed trial at a course in Ibaraki, Takumi remembers his encounter with Mika and the slap. He then drives past a crowd cheering him with Kenta and Matsumoto cheering along. The following morning, Takumi revealed to Bunta he took a day off work for another shift, but Takumi still feels gloomy as Bunta noticed. Then Takumi receives an anonymous phonecall and upon taking it, he rushes back into the house, to which Bunta senses its a girl. The caller ended up being Mika whom wanted to give Takumi an apology earlier for all the things she had done to him. A relieved Takumi curiously asked how she was able to get his mobile number, to which she responds that she got it at the gas station. She apologised again and Takumi was then happy that his innocence was proven. Mika then wants to find time to apologise to Takumi personally but unavailable due to conflicting schedules. Takumi offers to visit her instead as he has free time but then blushes on what he's saying. Mika also blushes and accepts his proposal. Takumi then drives his way to Saitama to see her. They meet at a restaurant for some tea. Mika tells Takumi that at first she didn't think Takumi was a bad person. But when Takumi told her that she still didn't hold back on him, she said she was clouded with anger that she didn't know what she was thinking. Mika says she had more strength when hitting because she's a golfer, which her father forced her to practice since she was little. Her conflicting schedules made her unavailable to see him in Gunma in Summer break. Takumi too revealed he was raised similarly to her being forced to drive since his middle school, and while he didn't like doing it initially he began to drive as he was grown over it and started to like it. Mika says they both are alike in that fashion. At Lake Akina that night, Takumi tells Itsuki about him visiting Saitama to see Mika, much to his surprise. He then tells she is a year younger than them being in her final year of high school. Itsuki asks if he would ask her out on a date in which Takumi denied as their meeting wasn't anything like that. However, Takumi admits to Itsuki he had a thing on her on the day of that fateful encounter. Hearing that both excites Itsuki with a hint of envy. Takumi states he felt awkward and doesn't know how to shake that sort of feeling off. When Itsuki tells him to confess his feelings to her, Takumi denies, telling it could be one-sided from his side and is unconfident about it. At Yabitsu course in Kanagawa, while Team 246 practices in their respective cars, Sidewinder team's head Go Hojo and chief mechanic Eiji Kubo discusses with Hideo Minagawa of Racing Team Katagiri SV and TeaSpiral's head Ryuji Ikeda about their plans to collect data of Project D's racers while they battle these teams. Ikeda thinks its a bit too much, while Minagawa enthusiastically states he is going to defeat Project D before the Sidewinders gets their chance. Go Hojo tells he will be looking forward to it. Afterwards Minagawa and Team 246's members, Satoshi Omiya and Kobayakawa states they aren't exactly a huge fan of Sidewinder's idea. It sounded as if they must lose and give credits to the next team. Minagawa states he too doesn't like Sidewinders on their plans and tells Team 246 to go all out and defeat Project D. The following day, Mika practices golf with her father at a golf driving range when he notes her improvements. Mika meanwhile thinks about Takumi. Takumi meanwhile nearly spaces out at his courier delivery job and helps in putting packages in a truck. Meanwhile at the gas station Kenji comes up with news to Iketani and Itsuki. He then shows a golf magazine to Iketani which has an article on Mika, much to their surprise. Itsuki then compares Mika and Takumi as polar opposites as Mika plays golf in the morning while Takumi races at night and doubts if their romance will go any further. Later on that night at Yabitsu, Takumi and Keisuke the course for their upcoming battle when some anonymous men time them in their stopwatches. Meanwhile Go Hojo standing nearby notices Ryosuke Takahashi and states its been years since he last saw him. As Keisuke completes his run, he informs Fumihiro about people scattered around the course timing his run, but tells its pointless to time now as they are still setting up their cars. As Keisuke drives away for his next practice run, Fumihiro notices Takumi is as confident as ever. Matsumoto sees Takumi taking a liking on difficult courses and that his car being tricky to drive but nonetheless is not a problem for him. Fumihiro thinks he is some sort of alien. He then asks Ryosuke if he is fine with anonymous people timing their runs. He suggests to have some camouflage to prevent them from seeing what their potentials are. But Ryosuke tells him he would rather not play unfairly and they can get all their info as they please as the one's trying to collect their data aren't their next opponents. With their main battle the following night, there won't be time for them to collect their data and there will possibly be such opponent for them later giving them enough time. For now they must focus on their opponents before thinking about themselves. Matsumoto and Takumi walks along the Yabitsu course the next day and they discuss about its interchanging slopes going both uphill and downhill. Regardless of directions, the battle will focus on changing widths of the road and many courses have those types of terrain with both directions in one. Those types of courses will be important overtaking points to take. Takumi knows that very well from memory but is also aware that the locals know how to exploit that in order to not drive in unfavorable conditions. Matsumoto then tells him if he's not careful enough then he will fall for that trap. Night of the battle arrived, and Keisuke is annoyed with racing against a Lan Evo yet again. Fumihiro tells Keisuke to call himself as 'Akagi's Lan Evo killer' to which Keisuke states its not even funny and the reason he hates the Lan Evos is because they ridiculously fast on mountain passes. Satoshi asks Kobayakawa how he wants to start the battle, to which he prefers to be the chaser to feel what his opponent is capable of and confidently believes he won't be outrun be a 2WD. He states the first round will be for reconnaissance, while the second would be the actual battle. With this, both opponents introduce each other feeling both their auras. Ryosuke gives his brother prep talk before they battle. He is sure that Keisuke knows how to handle this without his advice. Fumihiro then starts off the battle. Kobayakawa notices his power and footwork are impressive but he wants to see if Keisuke can manage with the upcoming steep roads. While Go Hojo and Eiji Kubo discusses about the battle nearby and the latter gives out his prediction on it, Kobayakawa notes that Keisuke's FD is performing well on uphill for a RWD car. But he hates the fact that there is no special presence about him he can sense. He states Keisuke as 'boring'. Meanwhile when being asked about Kobayakawa's decision on being the chaser, Satoshi thinks he has made the right choice as there's no way he seems to be in a disadvantage. However when it comes to him, he has to see the results of the battle to verify what he has to choose. Meanwhile Fumihiro asks Ryosuke on what did he say earlier to Keisuke at the beginning as when he said 'half of his job was finished'. Ryosuke tells its nothing more than the fact that Keisuke plans his attack on the second half of the course as he cannot compete with an Evo on steeper slopes. So he conserves his tyres there and uses it on the milder slopes on the second half on his attack. Meanwhile Kobayakawa is fully aware of Keisuke's strategy and is on the constant lookout for when he plans to make his move. As he thinks Keisuke will try his move on the upcoming wider road, Kubo explains to Go that Evo and Impreza drivers thinks their cars are best for asphalt as they are developed for rallying, but this isn't necessarily true. Hence he predicts the result of this battle will be decided in the first run itself. As the road got narrower, Kobayakawa puts down his guard for a moment. Ryosuke then states that the maximum concentration of a driver will be attained in less than 3 minutes before reaching the goal. Keisuke at this moment realizes his chance and immediately steps on the gas suddenly, sprinting away from Kobayakawa's view on the corner. Kobayakawa gets in a state of shock and gets desperate to catch up with the FD.

Ryosuke states how public roads are unfair as due to the lack of runoff areas can restrict the ability to reach the limit. So a street racing specialist must have courage, fighting spirit, recklessness of youth and the plus factor given by God. Kobayakawa struggles to catch up with the FD gapping him, but its too far, too late for him as Keisuke gaps him successfully, winning the battle

Airdates

 * Animax: November 9, 2012

Characters (in order of appearance)

 * 1) Takumi Fujiwara
 * 2) Mika Uehara
 * 3) Bunta Fujiwara
 * 4) Itsuki Takeuchi
 * 5) Satoshi Omiya
 * 6) Kobayakawa
 * 7) Go Hojo
 * 8) Eiji Kubo
 * 9) Hideo Minagawa
 * 10) Ryuji Ikeda
 * 11) Kenji
 * 12) Koichiro Iketani
 * 13) Keisuke Takahashi
 * 14) Ryosuke Takahashi
 * 15) Kenta Nakamura
 * 16) Fumihiro
 * 17) Tomiguchi
 * 18) Shuichi Matsumoto

Cars

 * 1) Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86)
 * 2) Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85)
 * 3) Mazda Roadster RS (NB8C)
 * 4) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR (CT9A)
 * 5) Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S)

Music

 * 1) Raise Up - m.o.v.e
 * 2) Runaway - Leo River
 * 3) Flyleaf - Clutcho

Quotes
Mika: Umm...Sorry I called you all of a sudden. I wanted to apologise to you earlier. Are you still mad?

Takumi: Oh no! I'm just glad that you realised I didn't do it. Anyway, how did you know my mobile number?

Mika: I called the gas station and asked for your number.

Takumi: I see...

Mika: I'm very sorry. It was cruel of me saying these things and slapping you hard. I really should find a time to see you and apologise personally. I promise I'll find a time to do so!

Takumi: If you want, I can drive up where you are if that's fine.

Takumi: Ok what the hell am I saying?..... (while he blushes)

Mika: Is it okay with you?

Takumi: Umm sure...

Mika: Thanks for coming all this way!

Notes & Trivia

 * "If you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles", said by Eiji Kubo, is a quote from Sun Tzu's The Art of War.
 * At the start of the episode, the closeup of the Eight-Six's headlight was footage from Fourth Stage opening Dogfight.